The sun., 1918-01-18
EDICT PUZZLES
AND CRIPPLES
CITY ANDSTATE
All Kinds of Industries in
Chaos Over Interpreta.
ton of Introduction.
MILLIONS IN PAY LOST
Lawyers Doubt il Order Can
Be Enforced-Merchants in
State of Confusion.
MILLIONS IN PAY LOST

The immediate result in this city and
territory yesterday of DIR. Garfield's fuel
Introduction was chaos and hedlam and a
confusion of tongues. The brains Of busi-
nsss men and manufacturers and of in
nun'erd bic dependent classes and in
dividuals were clogged with question
marks and bad words
Industry stopped with jerk or slowed
to half speed. while employers Of labor
AID labor itself appealed vainly for an
svors TO the thousand and one puzzles Of
the Garfield order. Everybody tried TO
find ou, what nc would he allowed to do
or not allowed 10 do under the sudden
decree. but of definite information there
was famine.
Protests that stirred the in,erdictcd
section were loudly echoed here. the
point OF view of business and industry
being that it was an unnecessary hard
ship to launch an order OF such Gripping
and disturbing nature Without stimuli
tsneously Interpreting it in its every
phase. The great majority OF business
and industrial leaders condemned the
step publicly or under their breath. not
only because Of its stunning prccipitancy
and its effect upon their own interests
hut because Of its inevitable deplorabie
effect upon labor in the way Of reduced
pay.
Throws Millions Ont of work.
leader in the country except for Samuel
;ompers, believes that the order viii
'hrow 100000 men out OF work in New
York State alone and that the pay loss
viii be S6.250.000 at least. figured on
the average OF 81 n day per man.
The United States steel Corporation
alone is preparing TO close certain plants
altogether for the period designated ur-
ess the order is modified and in any
event the company's 100000 employees
would lose Slo.sS0.0oo in ten DAYS
wages The Retail Ciothiers Association
reports that l,00o.0oo of its employees
will be thrown out of work and that
business failures will result.
These are a few specific examples o.
the distressing features OF the order
as seen by employers. who state Amos,
without exception that they cannot pos
sihly accept DR.. Ga-feld's hint to show
their patriotism by paying workmen for
Idle days.
Anost without exception business In
tnrests point out that tine conservation
OF coal and the clearing up OF railroad
congestion will be accomplished only by
tremendous losses to capital and TO
labor and by dangerous curtailment
Of production necessary to the nation
Many suggest that the order may lower
av.x1 hnr a.
give comfort to the enemy.
Fuel OMcials In the Dark.
In thi. city the offices OF the Fuel Ad-
m!nistration were stormed by manufac-
turers and others insistent for interprets-
ra,ons OF the order. but the Federal
Fuel Administrator, Albert II. Wiggin
and the County Administrator, Reeve
Schley, threw up their hands. They said
they didn't know any more about the or
der than plain John Smith. and that i
was useless to ask them for interpreta-
tions.
The two administra tors advised in
quirers 10 consult lawyers and then to
appeal 10 Garfield for specific instruc-
tons. The detailed order. when 1t ap-
peared last night, was OF little more
value to business men that sought the
yesterday morning. The entire commu-
nifty was up in the air. lawyers included
I.indley NJ. Garrison doubted II the
Garfield edct could be enforced. He
knew OF no law under which enforcement
could be commanded, George W. Wick
ershsm said that the worst that could
happen without a Fuel Administration Is
exactly what has come to pass Law
yers generally said that advice was su-
perfuous until Washington had fur
nished an understandable Interpretation
OF the order.
Merchants quickly digested the fact
that they would have to close up IL they
used coal. unless they were food or fuel
distributors. but they wanted to know II
they could do business II they didn't use
coal. The answer appeared to be that
they could keep going II they dispensed
with heat, light and power. Stores will
remain open to-day and tomorrow. but
they are undecided about what they will
do on Monday. There 10 an earnest ap-
peal for modification Of the order
once Buildings = Problem. .
As regards off,ce buildings the situa.
ton is similarly unsettled. There will be
10 concerted action In all probability.
Some buildings will close entirely. Others
will be heatless on Mondays only. Many
Of the big buildings will give Sunday
service on Mondays. that is they will
operate one elevator instead Of an sntir1
system.
The woolworth Building presents. ~
do some other skyscrapers, q puxzllng
problem. because It houses banks. pr,-
rides chambers for Judges of the Fed.
eral courts and supplies quarters for ex-
empted activities. SO do the Park Row. the