Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-01-29
THOUSANDS OF FACTORIES CLOSED
BY FUEL Administration ORDER
Sweeping Edict Suspends Business Activities for
Five Days Beginning January 1S and for
the Nine Mondays Following.
COAL SHORTAGE CAUSE OF EXTREME STEP

Washington, D. c. - Commencing
Friday, January Is, all industrial
plants east of the Mississippi and il
the states of Minnesota and Louisiana
excepting forty-three specified plants
engaged in vital war work were closed
for period of five days upon order Of
Fuel Administrator Garfield.
This is the most drastic and sweep
ing fuel priority law ever issued by
the government. It's purpose is tc
meet the coal famine.
The same order fixes every Monday
from January % to March rs, inclu
siye, as a holiday. On such days all
theaters and other places of amuse
ment must close. Other non-esential
business must curtail their activities.
Several exceptions were made with
regard to industries like blast fur
naces, which would be ruined by any
stoppage of their plants, and manufac
turers of perishable foodstuffs.
Newspapers are exempted entirely
from four or five coal1ess days be-
tween January Is and % inclusive, but
are limited to one edition on the nine
Mondays designated.
To Protect Business.
Every effort has been made by the
government to carry out the order
without undue interference with bust
ness. The priority order was issued
following a conference at the White
House attended by the president, Fuel
Administrator Garfield, Secretary of
War Baker and Secretary of the Navy
Daniels.
Between temporarily suspending the
vital war industries and meeting the
drastic severity of the coal famine
President Wilson chose the latter
course
Administrator Garfield said that the
order will not only prevent delivery of
coal to all industries for the five-day
period mentioned, but will prohibit the
use on these days of any reserve sup
plies. This is done in order that per-
manent relief may be obtained by re-
stocking supplies available for house
NOAN anu ullllLlOo uSC.
The Garfield curtailment order was
signed in the teeth of a resolution
passed a few moments before by the
senate, demanding a postponement.
Fifty out of the sixty-hine senators
voting on 1t, favored its passage. Only
nineteen voted in the negative.
President Backs Garfield.
At the same time Fuel Administrator
Garfield, backed to the limit by Presi-
dent Wilson, issued a statement de-
Tending the action taken and explain
ing that it resulted not so much from
shortage of coal as from the almost
hopeless congestion of the railroads.
1t is estimated that between 100000
and 100000 workers, earning be-
tween S15,000,000 and $2O,0OO,000 a
day in wages, will be affected. Both
DR.. Garfield and President Samuel
Gompers of the American Federation
OF Labor, appealed to the employers
not to curtail wages of men, but to
pay them over the period of inactivity.
A total loss of between $500, O0O, 900
and $1.750,000,000 in wages and pro-
duction values combined was predict
ed in the debate in the senate.
Enforcement of the order will be
undertaken through the 5000 state
and county fuel administrators, scat
tered through the area involved.
At the suggestion of the navy de-
partment the building of destroyers,
vitality needed to meet the forthcoming
German undersea spring offensive, will
not be interrupted. Eleven of the ex-
emptions have to do with this matter
alone.
At the suggestion of the war depart
ment three exemptions were decided
upon. Under them, there is to be. no
interruption in the manufacture of
powder and heavy forgings needed for
field guns.
Text Of Revised Order.
The official text of the government
coal restricting order as issued by
Fuel Administrator Garfield follows:
Regulations making provision for
~ASNN NNSAueSbC supply luSl lOE rail-
roads, domestic consumers, public
utilities and other uses necessary to
the national security.
The United States fuel administra-
tor, acting under the authority of an
executive order of the president of
the United States, dated Aug. %, 1917,
appointing said administrator, in fur
therance of the purposes of said or
der and of the purposes of the act of
congress therein referred to approved
Aug. 10, 1917. and finding it essential
effectively to carry out the provision
of this act, to make provision for a
more adequate supply of fuel for rail-
roads, domestic consumers, public
utilities, and for other uses necessary