New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
New Haven Industries, Pre-
pared, Not Hurt by
Fuel Shortage
Maximum Capacity
Not Used by u. S.
Winchester Co. Ready, but
Not Turning Out Brown
ing Machine Guns
By James Arthur Seavey

NEW HAVEN, Jan. 2.---Glad tidings!
The war industries of the metropolis
Of the State of Connecticut have not
been held up and there is no immediate
prospect of their being held up by a
shortage of coal.
Bad tidings The maximum ca
pacity Of many of the plants in this
town engaged in turning out war sup
plies is not being used by the United
States government.
The reason that New Haven has been
able to keep up with it's needs for
coal is due almost entirely to individual
Yankee forethought and a hustling,
cnterprisng and particularly efficient
local fuel administration.
Early last summer State Fuel Direc-
tor Storrow sent broadcast through
the state a circular letter advising all
Goa consumers to lay in stocks early:
This was done by many Of the great
industries of New Haven, and they are
now thanking their lucky stars that
they did so.
The local fuel committee is made up
of Hiram M. Kochersperger, chairman,
and George f. Hodson. MIR Kochers-
pcrger not long ago was controller OF
the New York, New Haven e. Hartford
Railroad. Mr.. Hodson is one Of the
directors of the Winchester Repeating
Arms Company. Both are used to
handling large affairs and working
forty eight hours out of twenty-four ii
necessary to get what they go after.
Prepared for Coal Pinch
AS soon as these two men became the
coal bosses of New Haven they inven-
toried stocks and prospects. Wherever
a prospect was weak, they made it as
strong as possible. When the coal
pinch came they were pr3eparsa: pr, ,;++oo.-
general process of commando ering,
were partly filled from bins that were
full, and 50 New Haven, in its homes
and in it's factories, has been fairly
comfortable.
This is not to say that New Haven
has all the coal it wants, but there hns
been here no such Goa! condition as
they have had in Bridgeport and many
other places, and not a single war in
dustry has had to shut down or cur
tail output on account Of lack of coal.
The largest war industries are those
operated by the Winchester Repeating
Arms Company and the Marlin Rock
we'll Combination. The latter operates
the Marlin Arms Corporation which
has been executing rife contract fol
; the Belgian government; the Marlir
Rockwell Corporation, which makes all
craft guns; the Rockwell, Drake Com
i kins & Allen Company. of Norwich
!, Conn, and the Mayo Radiator Com
pany, Of New Haven. Besides these
;. companies the Greist Manufacturing
e Company and the New Haven Mnlleablt
e Company also have large contracts.
= At the Winchester Works it was sale
e this afternoon that they had Goa
enough for six weeks, and that the!
: were certain of having enough aftel
S that to continue going at maximum ca
e pacty.
= Ready to Make Machine Guns
I It is also asserted that the compan,
is ready to begin the manufacture o
: the new Browning machine gun, bu
5. is rot turning out any of these gun
e because no order has been receive
y from the War Department to do sc
This would indicate the company i
not working up to capacity now.
Chairman Kochcrsperger makes
~ different report on coal conditions a
e the Winchester works. He has lette
y =, from the company dated December .
y y in which it asks for coal in a hurry
Al Mr. Kochersperger's colleague, Nj
- Hodson, who is director of the Win
=, n chester company. feels quite certai
n n that his organization has nothing lik
" six weeks coal supply, but he is no
J. worrying about the future.
q All Of the Marlin Rockwell plant
h here get their power from a local powe
le company, and therefore their need O
d coal is comparatively small. They ar
fairly we'll supplied.
The Greist Manufacturing Compan
has plenty of coal. Herbert NJ. Greis1
president of the company, last summe
g laid in enough coal to last his coTpan
= until next April.
is The New Haven Malleable Iron Com
~ pany has been the hardest hit, prob
s. ably, but has managed to get along an
l. fill orders promptly
O. 1t would seem, therefore, that S
~ far as New Haven is concerned the1
T. is sutficiency of coal and plenty {
capacity. The manufacturers are usin