New-York tribune., 1918-07-08
Last Winters Lessons Have
Aided in Solving Prob
lens for Next
Non-War Work May
Be Blue-Pencilled
How and What to Restrict,
How to Distribute No
Longer Puzzles
By Theodore NJ. knappen

Nv TASHINGToN, July THE
w brewers know what coal short
age means. They have been
cut down to so per cent of their normal
production by direction of the fuel
administration. Brewers are not popu-
lar these days. They can't even get a
kick across. But suppose you should
get an order to restrict your own busi-
ness 90 per cent. You may, too. CLAY
products and sanitary ware, window
glass, boxhoard, print paper, automo-
biles and pianos already are restricted.
There will be more restrictions.
The fuel administration knows where
it stands. 1t has list of non-war in
austries, through any one of which it
is prepared to draw blue pencil if the
need arises. And it will. Last winter
when the Suicide" order WAS issued it
looked as though the fuel administra-
tion had more nerve than sense. How
ever that may be, it still has its nerve.
Also it has sense, whether it had it be-
fore or not
Really, there was no administration
of fuel affairs until within a few
months The institution known as the
fuel administration formerly was a
governmental body with vast powers,
whose activities resembled a man fight
ing mosquitoes and scratching the
bites. It's hands were here, there and
everywhere. Sometimes it killed local
fuel mosquito and it relieved irritations
here and there, though in doing so it
made others. 1t dealt with symptoms
rather than the disease that produced
the symptoms. While it was relieving
a local trouble here, others broke out
elsewhere.
Things We're Topsy-Turyy
Suppressing the manifestations of the
elemental disorder in one place caused
it to appear in another. Rushing coal
to one ne-stricken locality, it pro-
duced famines in other places. Expe-
diting the movement of coal to one sec
tion, it delayed it to another. Succor-
ing some industries, it unintentionally
bowled others out. The populace
couldn't make up its mind whether the
fuel administration was a curse or a
blessing. 1t gave with one hand and
smote with the other. 1t was not an
administration; it was a muddle and a
luss.
outlined this view of what was to
one of DR.. Garfields right-hand men
the other day, and he answered that I
was all wrong-that from the first
the administrator had worked along
rational lines and according to broad
concept of his problem. I credited the
K. H. M. with 400 per cent sincerity,
but charged his position up to loyalty
to the chief.
One of the fine things about the ma
tional Washington these days is that
every person in every bureau, depart
ment and commission, while willing to
concede that other subdivisions of gov
eminent unfortunately err from time to
time, insists that his functions with
100 per cent efficiency.
"All Depends on One"
AS each group considers that it has
the pivotal and critical job of the war,
1t is considered rather fortunate that
such governmental shortcomings as
there may be are elsewhere.
Now, there is Hoover, for example.
de is doing pretty we'll for the common
garden variety of food administrator,
out after all the war is going to be won
or lost right in the fuel administration.
ANY member of it can tell you that.
fortunately, the fuel administrator is a
oig man and on the job. The country
will be saved.
However, being without the charmed
circle, but without any desire to hurt
any ones feelings, feel tolerably cer-
'ain that all last fall and winter the
'ueI Administrations dongs were Just
fenex actions-sensation and response.
seeing that there never had been any
iuel administrations in this country
before and that there was no ORDERLY
means of carrying out policy, even
II an adequate policy could be shaped
without knowing the conditions and
circumstances, this can be said with
out criticism.
School of Experience"
oaii last fall and winter the fuel
au'h'nistration's school of experience
aao let 1T go at that. Now, let's see
"aa1 1t learned while at school. It
'eems to have learned a lot. Among