Republican farmer., 1918-02-15
MONDAY
ORDER SUSPENDED
BY DR.. GARFIELD
General Holiday Ruling is Withdrawn and Ques-
ton is Placed Before Local Administrators for
Determination-New England May Continue
Holidays for Some Time.

istrator Garfield yesterday announced
the suspension of the heatless Mon
days order. But he said State Fuel
Administrators will have authority to
keep the closing program In effect in
any states where the fuel conditions
seem to demand it.
The only section where this discre-
ton probably will be exercised is in
New England. James ]. Storrow,
special representative of the Fuel
Administration for New England,
has been called to Washington. 1t is
understood he will recommend that
the Monday closing order be kept in
force in New England, where fuel
conditions are still critical.
Reports received at the Fuel Ad
ministration Office indicate that only
375 tons of bituminous coal moved
daily through the New England gate
way for the first ten days of Febru-
airy. This is wholly inadequate.
Will Accelerate Shipments.
No surplus stocks of consequence
have been created in the New Eng
land consuming centres. The Fuel
Administration plans to exert every
energy to improve that situation by
accelerating rail transportation and
by increasing water shipments from
Hampton Roads.
With the continuation of freight
embargoes and the preferential list
for coal consumers, the Fuel Admin
istration feels that the problem will
be worked out without imposing fur
Their the hardship of Monday clos
ing upon industries, except possibly
in New England.
Reports from all states except the
New England ones indicate general
improvement in the fuel situation.
While the State Administrators in
eastern territory a week ago were
unanimous for the continuance of the
heatless Monday order, DR.. Garfield
said yesterday reports received from
these same men now are all for its
suspension, excepting in the case of
New England.
This is due principally to the break
in the bad weather conditions. Trans
portatlon conditions have improved
to marked degree, and the amount
of fuel consumed has been reduced.
Closing Down Resulted Well.
DR.. Garfield said yesterday that the
statements he is receiving from all
sections of the country convince him
that the closing order brought uni
versal improvement in fuel condi-
lions. At the same time, he admit
ted that the freight embargoes have
been a large factor in the general i'm
provement.
While submitting no figures as to
the amount of coal saved by the in
dustrial shutdown, the Fuel Admins
traitor presented figures bearing on
transportation congestion and the eff
feet of the order in reducing the rail
blockade on eastern lines
On Jan. % four of the trunk lines
had on sidetracks 26,953 cars above
the normal. This congestion of cars
was divided as follows: New York
Central, 1875; Baltimore and Ohio
$3.50; Pennsylvania, 5,576; Erie, S.
552. On Feb. IL the number of cars
above the normal on the side tracks
had been reduced, for the four lines
mentioned, to 1879 distributed as
follows: New York Central, 1,134;
Baltimore and Ohio, $3.50; Pennsyl-
vania, 2,527; Erie, 1886.
But Must Be Still Economical.
In commenting upon the suspension
of the Monday closing order, Director
General of Railroads McAdoo said:
81 concur heartily in this, but it
should not be assumed that there is
no further necessity for economy in
the use of coal. There are still pos
sibly six weeks of winter weather
ahead of us, perhaps with snow and
billiards. to interfere with railroad
operations. Therefore every pound
Of unnecessary traffic that we can
keep off the railroads during this
period will help to restore normal
conditions that much more quickly
The general industrial activity of the
country should becarried forward to
the utmost limit that conditions will
permit, in order that production may
not be unnecessarily disturbed, and
that labor may not unnecessarily be
deprived of employment
"The railroads are a fundament-
ally important factor in the situation
and the public may rest assured thai
they will be operated to the limit OF
their capacity and that every con-
ceivable effort will be made to fur.
nish the amount of transportation re.
quired to sustain the country's life
and prosperity. With a few weeks
of favorable weather I am sure tina
the railroads will be able to take cart
Of their responsibility.
VIII Meet Wars Demands.
"I believe that there is every rea
son for encouragement and conf
dence about the future and that thu
resources of the country will prov,
sufficient to meet the great industrial
and financial demands of the war
1.-The prompt enactment by Con
gress of the necessarily railroad leg
islation and the war finance legisla
ton will be extremely helpful. Their
Is no ground for pessimism We hav
only to clench our teeth, stand to
gether and ultimate victory is Ger
tain"
Five ways of saving fuel in heat
ing houses are recommended in
report Just made by the Bureau o
Mines, Department of the Interior
Van H Manning Director of the Blu
reu, estimates that there are abou
20 100000 homes in this country an
that each by the use of ordinary in
telligence and care can save a to-
a year
The report suggests that the tenn
perature of houses be kept from
to 10 degrees below what is now Gus
tomary. From Is to 20 per cent. O
the fuel may be saved by heating tn
house only to from 81 to IS degree: