Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-01-25
DESPERATE REMEDY.
TO CONSERVE FUEL
!,
ALL MANUFACTURING PLANTS
ARE ORDERED TO CLOSE
DOWN FOR FIVE DAYS.
TO CLOSE FOR TEN MONDAYS
Industry and Business Generally A.
fected by Order Which is Estimated
by Garfield to Save 100000 Tons
OF Coal.

Washington, -- Americas manuiac'
turing enterprises with but few ex'
Ceptions In all states east OF the Mis-
sissippi river was ordered by the gov
eminent to suspend operations for five
days beginning Friday morning, Jan
uary Is, as a drastic measure for re-
lleving the fuel famine
At the same time, as u further
means of relief, 1t was directed that
industry and business generally, In
GLIDING all normal activities that re-
quire heated buildings, observe as a
holiday every Monday for the next ten
weeks. This will close down on Mon.
days not only factories, but saloons.
stores except for sale Of drugs and
food places of amusement and nearly
all office buildings. While the order
does not mention shipyards, It is
known that they will be permitted to
continue operation as usual, although
munitions plants will be closed
The governments move came entire.
ly without warning in an order issued
by Fuel Administrator Garfield with
the approval of President Wilson pre-.
scribing stringent restrictions govern
ing the distribution and use Of coal
1t was decided upon hurrledly by the
President and government heads as
desperate remedy for the fuel crisis
and the transportation tangle In the
eastern states. Even munition plants
are not excepted from the closing
down order.
Officials would not discuss the far.
reaching effects the action would have
on the Industrial fabric and questions
as to how the order was to be inter.
preted to meet specific problems went
unanswered.
The order prescribes a preferential
list OF consumers in whose interest It
was drawn These users will get coal
in the following order:
Railroads: household consumers
hospitals; charitable institutions. and
army and navy cantonments.
Public utilities, telephone and tele.
graph plants
Strictly government enterprises. ex-
cepiing factories and plants working
on government contracts.
Public buildings and necessary gov
eminent, state and municipal require
Factories producing perishable
foods and foods for immediate con-
Save 100000 Tons.
II was estimated the enforcement Of
he order would cave a fetal OF 100000.
100 tons Of bituminous coal, which
probably Is about half the present
shortage. The indications were that
It the end of the ten weeks of Mon
lays holidays permanent policy of
restricted consumption would have
leen determined on.
The critical coal situation is blamed
IN the unusually severe weather which
las made II impossible In many in.
stances to move coal at all and which
las cut off the fuel supplies of whole
titles.
Rules on Holidays.
On the Monday holidays besides
plants the following
consumers will be forbidden to use
oal. Business and professional of.
Ices Except to prevent freezing) ex-
ept those used for government Of
ices or banks and trust companies
nd those housing physicians and den.
lists; wholesale aud retail stores with
RECEPTIONS for drug stores and those
hat sell food; all amusement places
nd saloons. State fuel administrators
nay close the bank and trust company
II they think necessary
On the holidays subways, surface,
levated and suburban cars will be
ermitted to use only the amount of
oal they normally consume on Sun.
avs.
The order was issued under author.
y conferred in the Lever food act.
,hich provides fine OF $1,000 or i'm
risonment for violation
Officials foresaw that the German
overnment might distort and make
luch of the order to improve the
lorale of the German people, but they
aid this danger was negligible when
ompared with that of permitting the
lei situation to continue unimproved.
To prevent industrial unrest 1t was
aid the government might make for
lal request on industries affected by
lie order to pay their employees du",
U the time they are idle