The Washington herald., 1918-01-22
WEAVER TELLS
MERCHANTS OF
!. SAYINGS PLAN.
Fuel Administrator Outlines
Details for Conserving
Future Supply.

While members shivered in heat
less room Of the Star Building and
wrapped themselves warmer in, their
overcoats, Fuel Administrator John l.
Weaver outlined his plan OF local
governmental control of coal distribu-
ton last night at the annual meeting
of the Retail Merchants Association.
Announces Plan.
BY this plan not an ounce Of coal
will be obtainable without the per-
mission Of the Fuel Administrator of
the District. An allotment of coal,
the amount to be printed on each
card. would be set aside for each
house Of the District. Coal could not
be obtained In any other way than by
presentation and punching of the
card at the time Of payment to the
dealer.
Mr.. Weaver said that II the plan
was put into effect he would consider
1t his patriotic duty to run out of
business any dealer who dispensed of
coal without punching the amount
out of the card.
The plan was as yet tentative.
Mr.. Weaver stated. He has con-
ferred with the national admins
traitor on it. and it is under con-
sideratiou at that office.
He said that Washington business
men had set an example for the
rest of the country which could
be parralleled by no city. He
heartily thanked all of them for
their cooperation.
Mr.. Andrews, at the conclusion of
the talk of the administrator, ask
ed whether II would not have been
practicable to close schools for a
period of sixty days during this
time when coal is so badly needed,
and to reopen in the summer when
coal is not needed.
National Question.
Mr.. Weaver answered that this was
a national question and one for the
National Administrator to decide.
Next Monday" Mr.. Weaver de-
clared at the end Of his second short
speech. "all Washington will be
closed. All interests will follow the
example of the merchants here to-
night and close every door"
NJ. A. Leese was elected president of
the association to succeed r. P. An
drews; Joseph A. Berberich was elect
ed first vice president: Lester Lans-
burgh, second vice president; Charles
J. Columbus, secretary; Washington
Topham. treasurer. and NJ. d. Rosen-
burg, general counsel
John p. Fox, consulting engineer of
the Public Utilities Commission. dis
cussed the street-car problem OF
Washington.
AS the meeting progressed the room
got colder. More and more overcoats
appeared, and Maj. Pullman walked
in for ten minutes. A suggestion was
murmured that he was inspecting the
temperature in the room. A ther-
mometer in a corner registered well
under sixty degrees. with Q corre-
spending making, cool
On a motion introduced by Wash
ington Topham, and passed unani-
mously. the name OF the association
was changed to the Merchants As
sociation of Washington, as suggest
sd by r. P. Andrews in his annual
report. =
Addresses were delivered by l. NJ.
Taylor. of the Commercial Economy
Board of the Council of National De-
fense, and Z. C. Graham, who spoke
on the war savings stamp campaign.
In his annual report. retiring Presi-
dent Andrews drew attention to the
need for a bad check law in the Dis
trfct and summed up the work OF the
association in assisting to alleviate
the freight and traffic congestion in
the railroad yards.