New-York tribune., 1918-01-09
Lightless Nights, Unheated
Homes and Closed Plants
Threaten, He Says
Puts Blame ON
Priority Orders
New England Shipments
Bring Test Close; $4,000
Tons Sunk in Ice

With the weather growing colder, the
ice in tho barge lanes of the Bay be-
coming thicker and the city getting
less than third of the coal it needs
daily. every man concerned with the
problem Of relieving the New York
coal famine turned pessimist last
night
They saw in imminent prospect a city
OF freezing homes, bereft of car SER
vice, dark of nights except for candle
light, and completely paralyzed indus
trially, unless the National Director OF
Railroads provides more cars to bring
the product of the mines here.
Albert y. Wiggin, Federal admins
traitor for the state, declared that the
priority order, still standing, which
sends 500 carloads of coal through New
York into New England daily, was
bringing the city hourly nearer its su-
preme test of suffering.
Confers With Garfield
After a telephone conversation with
Or. II. A. Garfield, the National Fuel
Administrator, in Washington, in which
he made an appeal for more railroad
cars, Mr.. Wiggin called reporters into
his office at the Chase National Bank
and said:
'You want to get it into the minds of
the people that they want to yell as
loudly as they can yell for coal for this
community
"Dr. Garfield assured me that the
supply of coal above ground at the
mines was ample, and that Mr. McAdoo
Will furnish the cars and promises to
YOU want to get it."
Another cold spell like that of a
few days ago, and everything will have
to shut down. said Harry T. Peters
chairman Of the fuel conservation COM
mittee.
'No schools, except one or two with
broken pipes, will be closed to-day,
announced Reeve Schley. administra-
tor for New York County "We are
managing to supply the hospitals and
the poor and to keep the public utili-
ties going. But that's all"
Mayor Hylan Pessimistic
Mayor Hylan added another note Of
gloom with statement that the con-
servation measures already put into
effect had fallen far short of acfev-
the same time that force of 300 vol
unteer inspectors would patrol the city
nightly hereafter and report violations
of the fuel administrators regulations
against the waste of light and heat.
The chief offenders, the Mayor de.
clared. were the big Office buildings
the electric companies which supply
street lights and hotels and apartment
houses The punishment for these he
- %to, Of x>ff ,C1
supplies.
The Mayor also ad ed his appeal to
that of Mr. Wiggin to the Nationa
Fuel Administration for larger quota
of coal cars to supply the city.
Mr.. Wiggin's statement followed {
series of conferences, at which it de
veloped that there had been more com
plants of lack of coal among the peo
ple than on any other day since the
branch Offices of the fuel adm. :nistra
tion were established last week in th'
poorer sections.
Coal Lost in the Ice
1t was also reported at one of thes'
conferences that the mcagre supplies
Of coal transported across the bay ha'
been further shortened by at leas
$4,000 tons through the loss of barge
in ice crushes.
Ny Wiggin called in the reporter
after he had conferred with Mr.. Peters
Mr.. Schley and G. s. Searle, btu
minous coal expert, who said that tn
next tie-up would include a Long Isl
and -four mill which supplies the cit
with much of its material for bread.
"The conservation that has bee1
started is nothing to the conservation
that is necessary" said Mr.. Wiggin
"You Know already how necessary /
is to this city to have a regular suppl
of coal. tell you now that if thi
supply does not come it will be only
matter of a few hours before indus
tries, car service and buildings will
have TO shut down. We arc might
close to it.
You cannot make it too strong" n
added apparently the priority orde
calling for the sending Of 500 carload
of coal to New England every day will
take the available supply from Ne,
York, and our day of, supreme suffer
ing soon will be here
The governments bunker coal order
are IN ahead, and when that 500 ca,
loads of coal for New England is take
from New York there is nothing lof
IT IS all matter of Transportation
Sufficient coal is not now coming int
New York. and, unless it does, VIC Nigh
.ust as well shut down.
I"e rdiIroau director has said ths
no more priority orders will be issued
continued Mr. Wiggin but that on
Tor New England stands as it is.
Gets Less Than Third of Supply
Meanwhile" MIR. Wiggin went O,
New York is not getting one third c
the coal IL needs. Not one-third of IL
necessary supply is on the way"
Mr.. Schley. when asked about til
prospective action of fuel administr.
ton officials with reference to II
mon essential industries" declare
that the shortage would put them OF
OF business without action on the pa
of the government
The people and the hospitals CON
hrSt, he said. Then come the publ
utlhtles, transportation companies ar
lighting companies. Next we will ha,
to care for those industries engage
on war work for the government. Whe
these are cared for, these others wi
get coal. If there is not coal enouo
TO go around, why they will Just ma
urally close down"
The coal shortage is so acute. hoy
ever, that Mr. Wiggin and Mr.. Pete,
both asserted that muntion plants. liz
scores OF other industrial plants whie
have already been forced into idlenes
would have to shut up shop.
Mr.. Peters said that the anthracit
coming into the city was only abo,
half that absolutely required. He ais
declared that a number of ships loade
with munitions and supplies for tt