New-York tribune., 1918-01-12

ply Of coal, the ost-Graduatc is better
off than a'ny of them. with half a weeks
supply of coal in it's bins
The action that brought about the
simultaneous closing Of the 1876 schools
in Brooklyn, attended by slightly more
encc held there in the morning. Arthur
S. Somcrs, president Of the Board Of
Education, received first hand informa-
ton concerning the desperate efforts
that have been made to supply the
schools from Fuel Administrator Gun
nson, for that borough, and the coal
dealers. who had empticd their own
yards in a vain effort to keep the fur
naccs going. '
Mr.. Somcrs pointed out that the most
important work of the term had been
completed, and that a vacation until
the opening of the February term would
give the dealers an opportunity to sup
ply q surplus that might guarantee
continuous sessions until warm
weather. The dealers thought they
would be able to make this modest
guarantee, and the order was made i'm
m"diatcly.
Emergency Schooling Planned
The closing Of the schools does not
mean that the pupils will be without
Emergency plans have resulted in the
opening Of armories, churches and va
cant houses in order that the children
may attend daily school sessions during
the period the city's structures will
be closed They will report to their
regular schools Monday morning and
will be reassgned after a directory oil
available quarters has been prepared
by Board Of Education officials.
Some Schools TO Be Kept Open
Gustave Straubenmullcr acting Sup
crintendcnt of Schools, said that the
schools that remained open would be
used as centres from which the in
struction Of the schoollcss would be
directed.
In statement issued last night, he
said:
"Various schools in the districts Of
Brooklyn VII be kept open as centres
for Instruction. The neghboring
schools which will be closed will send
the seventh and eighth year pupils to
the centres that remain open for in
struction. The district supcrnten-
dents are taking charge of this; mat
ter and will attend to the distribution
Of the children.
"All schools in Brooklyn assemble
Monday morning for the purpose of
distribution.
Rumors that the city's churches
might be listed among the institutions
that could be dispensed with during
the stress of war times led Walter
Laidlaw, secretary of the Federation of
Churches, to write letter of protest
to DR.. Garfield. In it he said that the
first targets of such conservation moves
should be 'the resorts that remain
open on Sunday in defiance of the
law
The official said that churches al
ready had done their share in conserv
ing coal by eliminating as many scr
vices as possible, holding services in
smaller quarters and with less than the
normal heat requirements.
Mayor Hylan yesterday instructed
Alfred johnson, City Chamberlain, to
seize 5000 tons of coal lying idle in the
yard of the Washburn Wire Company,
10th Street and East River, for tho
use Of city institutions. The company
cannot use the fuel, since their plant
burned down several weeks ago
d. G.. Turner, the companys mana
ger, told the Chamberlain that the coal
was needed urgently by the firms other
plant in Rhode Island.
ut will not go to any place outside
the city" replied Mr.. Johnson. 81 shall
take it by arrangement with the own
ers, if possible. if not, l shall seize it,"
The seriousness of the threatened
tie-up of marine traffic about Manhat-
tan and Staten Islands, due to the ice,
was admitted after numerous confer
and steamship officials. Numerous ex-
petitions were arranged by boats heavy
enough to bucq the ice about the most
iOpOrtant docks in the h2rhOr