Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-18
AMERICA FEELS
PINCH OF WAR


Continued from First Page.1
on every Monday for period of ten
weeks beginning January 81.
Through its application the fuel ad-
ministration expects coal to move to
essential consumers, including rail-
roads, householders, public utilities,
food in whose behalf the order is
issued.
Exemptions Named
A supplementary list of exemptions
issued last night embraces various in
dustries engaged in imperative war
work. Shipyards working con navy
construction, plants filing contracts
for Army and Navy wooden uniforms,
tent manufacturers and manufactur-
ers of other products deemed neces-
sary for immediate use of the mill
tary forces were named in this list.
Newspapers are unaffected by the
five-day closing law but limited to
holiday editions on heatless Mondays.
Indication was given also that plants
requiring heat to maintain themselves
would be permitted to burn coal for
this purpose but would not be per-
mitted to operate. This was inter-
preted by many as applying to blast
furnaces.
Storm I'm Congress Continues
Protest from business interests
throughout the country and the storm
in Congress continued to-day. Fail
ure of the fuel administration to heed
the Senate request that the order be
held up until investigation could be
made led to an agitation by many
Senators in favor of making direct
appeal to President Wilson. The Sem
ate's request was In the form of
resolution debated and adopted by
vote of so to 10 about the same time
Mr.. Garfield's signature was affixed
to the order. Prior to that time the
fuel administrator had been before
the Senate committee to give his
reasons for the move.
In the House motion on a resolu-
tion requesting postponement, intro
duced by Acting Republican Leader
Gillett, was prevented after sharp de-
bate by refusal of Representative
Cox. Democrat, to give unanimous
consent for it's consideration.
Garfields Defends Position
The fuel administrator justified his
action in lengthy statement last
night in which he was prompted by
the necessity for furnishing the
American Army abroad and allies
with food and supplies.
Indications We're to-day that a pos
sible attempt might be made in the
Senate to bring about the repeal of
that section of the food law under
which the order was issued, but many
believed that any action in this direc-
tion would be too late.
Coal operators under contract to
supply industries will not be shut
down. orders from the fuel admin
istration instruct them to ship their
coal as usual, consigning it to state
fuel administrators with drafts at
tached. The Government will buy all
coal mind where industries are for
hidden to receive it. 1t is said that
S25, 100000 will be set aside for the
purchase.
Food industries Operate
Fod indus tries without exception
will be permitted to operate on full
time, according to an Interpretation
of the order made public by Food Ad-
ministrator Hoover.
1T is my understanding" said Mr..
Hoover, that the order does not in
clude grain elevators, grain mills.
bakeries, stockyards. meat packing
establishments, cold storage plants,
sugar refineries or any other form OF
the food industry.
Support of the measure despite the
fact that organized labor would be
one of the chief sufferers has been
by Samuel Gompers. pres
ident of the American Federation of
Labor. Mr.. Gompers, however, ex-
pressed that the five-day suspension
was the best way to meet the situa-
ton and suggested that all indus
tries be placed on an eight-hour-day
basis. go
Announcement that the use of all
forms of fuel, wood, oil and natural
gas as well as coal, would be prohib-
tied, caused considerable confusion
to-day and strenuous efforts are
promised to have wood, oil, natural
gas and water-power users exempted.
1t was stated officially early to-
day that President Wilson is not
even considering interfering with the
fuel restriction order and feels that
the country will be satisfied with its
necessity. All the principal mu-
nitions plants will be permitted to
work at ull capacity under the
fuel restriction order. AS announced
last night by the fuel administrator
only portions of the plants making
condenser tubes would have been
permitted to operate. 1t was an Of
cial mistake.
All the Du Pont powder plants and
the plants of eighteen other great
companies mentioned in last nights
official announcement as being re-
stricted to manufacture of con-
denser tubes, are by the official
modification to-day permitted to run
full blast.