Evening star., 1918-01-17
FUEL ORDER EFFECTIVE
TOMORROW SUSPENDS
INDUSTRIES FOR 5 DAYS

Suspension of operation Of Americas
manufacturing fnddstfes sAst 7nfss the
Mississippi and in Louisiana and MIN
nesota for q, period OF 1--WE days begin
ming tomorrow Is decreed by the fnei
administration In an order to be issued
today. designed to relieve the serious
coal shortage. The order even includes
munitions plants and excepts only IN
dustries producing food and those re-
ouiring continuous operation to mainta1n
their. business.
A preferential list of consumers OF
coal IN whose interest the order was
drawn is prescribed. including railroads,
housshoiders. hospitals, cnar1tama +an- IN
etitufions, Army and Navy CANON
ments, public utilities. strictly govern.
ment enterprises, public buildings ano
food manufactures.
As q means of additional reiiei tne
order provides that industry and bust
ness activity generally. including
stores, schools, saloons. theaters ana
ONCE buildings, shall observe holiday
or sunday conditions each Monday
thereafter for ten weeks. s Even ssseis III s;s
on Mondays, beginning January Il ana
up to and Including March rs.
Newspapers on Holiday Schedule.
Daily newspapers may burn fuel as
usual, excepting on Mondays from jan
nary Fl to March 25, inclusive. On
such days they may burn fuel to sucn
extent al is necessary to issue such
editions as they customarily issue on
important national legal holidays.
When q newspaper does not customa-
rily issue any edition at all on such
holiday 1t may Issue one edition on
these specified Mondays.
The order will not include natural
gas nor use of wood as fuel, nor
power derived from water. 1t Is said
industries from the operation OF the
order might be more liberal than first
announcements indicated.
While the order does not mention
shtpyards it is known that they will
be permitted to continue operations
This exception was made because OF
the great need for vessels to move
supplies ready for shipment overseas
Inclusion of munitions plants in the
order came as surprise, but fuel
been producing more material than the
railroads could handle and war sup
plies also had moved to ports OF
shipment faster than they could be
Transported overseas with ships tied
up for lack Of bunker coal.
May Be Permitted to Use Fuel.
Exceptions made Of plants requiring
continuous heat to maintain their eff
cheney led to the belief today that steel
mills and blast furnaces might be per-
mitted to use fuel during the five-day
period. Fuel officials declined. however
to interpret various phases of the
order, which provoked a multitude OF
questions. and many doubtful points
probably will be thrashed out before II
is put into effect tomorrow.
A series of rulings or interpretations
to be issued in connection with the
order is expected to make the situa-
tion more clear.
Under a provision which 1t was de-
cided this morning to insert in tn,
order, the government will become thu
purchaser of virtually all coal produced
in the five-day closing period. Minea
producing coal under contract to In
dustries which win be closed down will
be directed to turn their output ovel
to state fuel administrators under bill
partment will set aside $25.o00,o0o fol
the purchase of this coal.
Coal in transit to industry which will
be closed will not be purchased by tn,
government. but merely will be divert
ed by state fuel administrators ant
turned over to consumers who com,
within the preferential list. The Goa
will be paid for by tho ultimate con
eignee, who will remit directly to tn,
mines in which the coal originates.
Rule General in Scope.
The rulings to be issued in connec
tion with the order win be general IL
scope Fuel administrator Garfield ha,
reserved 70 himself the power to maxi
Interpretations and state fuel admins
speciaisfuIinss 70 at cases Of the grav
1continued on. Second FsSe0 i. 8