The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-02-21
MILLION TONS
COAL MONTHLY
Assurance That Il Will Be Sent
to New England
ANSWER TO STRONG APPEAL

Mil Owners and hana9ers-ReIie'
Necessary 10 Prevent Economic
Loss and Crave Labor Disturbances
Washington. Feb .-Trabsporta.
ton Tor 900 ep0 tons Of coal a
month was assured for New England
by Chairman Hurley OF the shipping
board and Director General McAdoo
% The railroad administration Six
hundred thousand tons o. the coal
will 20 by water and 400 600 tons by
rail
a delegation representing tie New
England textile industry told Secre-
lary Daniels OF the critical condition
resulting from lack Of fuel for their
plants Each factory represented
holds large government orders Tn
less strenuous efforts are made at
once to increase the coal for the
mills the delegation told Daniels
practically every one would be closed
before the end Of the month"; throw
ing out Of employment 300 600 hands
Mil owners and managers repre-
senting not only the textile trades,
hut many other New England indus.
| tries including iron and steel. ha1
| been coming into Washington on
every train FROM New Ynrk for TWEEN.
! ty-f0ur hours
| The Washington conference is the
| outcome Of meetings held recently IN
| the office Of James ] Storrow, The
New England fuel administrator, in
Boston, where ii was decided that
demonstration In force by the New
England men might have greater 81
feet than if their interests were rep.
resented by small committee how
ever distinguished In itself
In consequence the biggest bust
ness men in New England have left
their desks to come to tell the gov
eminent Including President Wilson,
that unless relief is afforded two
weeks ut the latest will witness the
beginning Of general industrial
shutdown throughout New England
with its inevitable train Of labor dis
turbances and perhaps rioting In the
streets in some Of tie larger cen
tiers.
Albert G. Duncan, treasurer Of the
Harmony mills, and former presi-
dent of the National Association Of
Cotton Manufacturers, was the
spokesman of the party. Duncan for
some weeks has been the unofficial |
representative of the textile interests
on Storrows local coal committee, |
but he appeared here solely as a
representative of textile mills Frank
lin w Hobbs, president Of the Ar.
lington mills, has been one O. the |
leaders in the present undertaking |
and co-operated with Duncan in pre-
Seniing the distress Of New England
10 government officials.
The delegation met in one Of the
hotels and outlined its method Of
procedure, which was TO present the
case of New England in the fullest
and strongest words possible. The
party then went to the Office of Sec
rotary Daniels, and was given an at
tentive hearing.
Duncan went TO the heart of the
situation with the statement that
ships Of a carrying capacity of not
less than 135 900 tons must be pro-
vided Immediately If the industries of
New England are not to close. The
shortage Of coal in New England now
amounts 10 5000, 900 tons, and can
not be- made up, and at least 100 900
tons a week In addition to what is
now being delivered must be provid
ed to enable her industries to scrape
along.
here is no exaggerating the seri-
BUSINESS and danger Of the situation
which confronts us, said Duncan
al the end Of not more than two
weeks 200 900 textile operatives
alone will be forced into. l,ileness by
the shutting down Of our shops and
mllls -
Not only must we suffer the eco
nomc loss which will come from
such disaster but, i1any % the oper
atives IN the great labor centers are
foreigners who understand little OF
our language and whom we cannot
make see the real situation. They
will be- thrown out of work without
knowing why and without money to
buy anything, to say nothing of the
coal which they could not get II
they had money. ! do not need "a
emphasize before you what that
means: it certainly win mean grave
abor disturbances and may lead 10
-iots."
The New England delegation which
here was one Of the strong
sst and most representative Of New
England industry as a whole that
ever visited this city. Although com
,osed chiefly Of Massachusetts men
I was authorized to speak for all OF
New England and should not be IN
ierStood as having made a special /.
flea for any small section
----