Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-03
COAL. RESTRICTION
MEASURES TO HIT
D. c. WITHIN WEEK
Every Effort to Be Made to
Keep Preferred Classes OF
Consumers Supplied.

Consumers Supplied.
Steps for the conservation of Wash,
ington's dwindling supplies of coal
are expected to be taken within the
next few days. according to lnforma-
| ton today, and within a week, 1t IS
expected. restrictive measures de-
| signed to save coal will be in effect.
| Every effort is to be made - keep
the five preferred classes Of coal con-
sumers. together with domestic users.
| supplied with enough coal to keep
| them in operation. The five are rail-
| roads and inland and coastwise traffic.
! Army, Navy and government institu-
| TONS state. county and municipal
/ governments and institutions, public
| utilities. such as street railways, eyec-
trio light and power companies. gas
and water companies, etc. and retail
dealers supplying domestic con-
| SumerS.
1t also was stated that industrial
| plants manufacturing necessary COM
modities are to be kept supplied with
| fuel practically on the same basis as
the classes in the preferred list. Such
plants it was stated. would include
bakeries, diaries operating power ma
/ chinery, establishments manufacturing
or preparing foods. clothing manufac-
tories and the like
| Preference to HousehOlderx.
Retail stores handling foods and
clothing. it was stated, will be classed
| with domestic consumers, the latter.
however. being given preference in
| supplying coal.
A ban is expected to be placed on all
| Illuminated signs using electric cur
| rent and on theaters, motion picture
houses and other places of amusement.
! This step is not expected to be taken,
| however, except under compulsion of
extreme necessity, it was intimated.
! koAo ~.
feet was obtainable..
Most retail dealers in Washington
are selling coal only in limited quanti-
ties. it was stated today, this plan
| having been adopted about week
| ago. In most cases orders are not
| accepted for more than two tons of
! coal at a time, though a few dealers
are declining to take orders for larger
! quantities than one ton at a time
| NO advance in prices has been made,
! 1T was stated, and none is to be made
the sole effort being to make the
| supplies spread over as many users as
| possible
| Representatives of several large
coal mining companies were in the
city today comforting with officials
fuel administration, the central coal
committee and large local users of
| coal These men stated that so far
as they have been able to learn by
careful Investigations and surveys of
| the various coal fields. no improve
ment is to be expected in the fuel
! situation in the immediate future
except in y Q remote contingency that
the coal miners experience a change
! of heart and inaugurate "back-to-
| the-mines" movement.
No Receipts in Fifteen Days.
At the offices Of the Washington
| Gas Light Company and the Potomac
| Electric Power Company no informa-
| ton could be obtained as to the re-
serves of coal on hand for production
| of gas and electric power At the
office of the former company it was
learned that no shipments Of bitumi-
nous coal had been received in the last
| fifteen days
The Potomac Electric Power Com
pany has been trying. during the last
| tWenty-four hours, to get a clear
statement regarding restrictions from
| the federal officials
| I'VE learned from the newspapers
that the fuel administrator had issued
| a request, described as virtually an
informal order. calling upon public
utilities to curtail fuel usage by cut
| ting off power to electric signs, show
! windows and other 'non-essentials.' -"
said John c. Mclaughlin, commercial
manager of the Potomac company. Il
| sent first to the fuel administration
| then to the railroad administration
for copy Of the request. AT neither
place wese they able to furnish a
copy.
"As a general policy we will do
| whatever we can to aid the govern
| ment in regulating the use of fuel
and in conserving the supply. We have
sent out investigators today to make
| a survey of the local use of electric
power and will request economy by
our patrons. But we cannot issue or
ders to them. We cannot sit in judg-
/ ment regarding their use of lights
We can make no enforceable regula-
| lions.
"When the fuel administration is
sues orders saying who may and who
may not use power for certain pur-
poses, we can take those orders and
| carry them out to the limit of our
right. But until there is definite off,
| cial movement in that direction we
can act only along general, not spe-
cific, lines to save coal by generating
and distributing less power"
| Steps for Conservation.
Instructions were issued last night
| by Director General Hines urging
regional directors to review the gen.
eral coal situation in their districts
carefully with view to further coal
| directors have been authorized to
eliminate passenger trains which can
be spared with the least inconveni-
ence to the travelling public, it was
| announced.
| Brice Clagett, assistant to the di-
rector general, said today that any
measures looking toward conserva-
ton of coal by the railroads through
elimination of passenger trains in
the Allegheny region. which includes
Washington, would be taken by L.
w. Baldwin, regional director, with
offices in Philadelphia.
1t was explained that the central
/ coal committee. of which Henry B.
Spencer is chairman. with offices in
the Hurley-Wright building, at 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue. has
not seen fit to ask quantity con-
sumers of coal in the District of Co
lumbia to curtain their consumption.
Mr.. Baldwin. it was explained, is in
complete charge of coal distribution
in the Allegheny district and any or
ders for curtailment, either to rail-
roads or to private consumers, would
necessarily come from him.
Intimation was made that the Ale