Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-14
Calling Off Of Coal Ban Comes
As Unexpected and Pleasant
Surprise to 0mahans After
Two Weeks Siege.
ALL ADJUSTMENTS MAY
RESUME FORMER HOURS
Thousands of Workers Return
To "FuII-Time" Days
Plenty Of Fuel Is on the
Way Here.

All fuel restrictions, which inns
peded the industrial, educational and
social life of Omaha for two weeks,
were ordered lifted at 4 yesterday
afternoon by w. M. Jeffers, chairs
man of the terminal coal committee.
In view of the lifting OF limited
restrictions, in an order issued by
the committee Friday, to have been
IN force beginning Sunday, the conn
plete release of all restrictions in
yesterdays order came as an unex.
pected and pleasant surprise to an
Omahans who are now in the midst
of the holiday shopping season.
.lhe assurances of early shipments
of coal to be received in Omaha, to-
gether with the serious disruption
of the holiday season and the in
ereasing numbers of UNEMPLOYED,
prompted the committee to restore
Omaha to normal conditions at the
earliest possible date.
Fuel Committees Order.
TIN order issued by the COMMITTEES
reads: '.9
Until further notice all restric-
tons relative to opening and closink
hours heretofore mentioned in the
various orders issued by this con,-
nittee are recalled, effective IL 4 :.
m, Saturday, December 1S. The dill.
tribution Of coal in carload lots,
which is under control Of the central
coal committee at Washington. i
not modified by this oeder. w. AZ.
Jeffers, chairman"
Merchants were elated when they
Learned of the weekend order, AZ
lowing them to return to their usual
business hours, Q a. m. to 6 .: m.
which will be observed. beginning
next Monday. During the last two
weeks they were limited to 10 4. m.
to p. nl., which resulted in conges-
tion and inconvenience. The new
order came in time yesterday after
noon to allow the stores to keen
their doors open after S o'clock and
thus accommodate the late shop
pers. The order issued Friday pro-
posed TO extend the closing hour Of
retail Stores from S to 6 D. M. and
retain the 10 O'Clock opening time
for a while.
Don't Count Losses.
Business MEN agree that the fuel
restrictions of the last two weeks
have caused a financial loss of thom.
sands of dollars, but they were TOD
much pleased yesterday afternoon to
recount their losses, being in mood
rather to make the most Of nine
I hristmas shopping days which re-
main. n
Iheaters. movies, dance halls.
bowling alleys. pool and billiard
rooms, clubs. libraries, schools. coi-
ieges, auditoriums, fraternal meeting
places and other places of similar
use, which have been entirely closed
1or two weeks on account Of the
eoai shortage, may now resume The
normal hours of opening and cfos-
ing.
he movie men were quick ves-
terday afternoon to take advantage
OF the lifted restrictions. Five down.
town movie houses were opened at
q, at the exact time the new order
went unto effect. Screen fans-were
quick to visit their favorite haunts.
In several instances the fans" ap-
plauded the screen heroes and
heroines, in their enthusiasm,
Back to Business
Thousands of workers in manu-
lacturipg establishments, wholesale
houses, commission houses, lam
dries and other places where the
working hours were restricted from
a. IN. to = p. m, may now re-
turn to their usual work day. Of
ices and Office buildings. which
we're restricted to the hours of $50
!. m. to $3.50 p. m, will begin Mon
Jay TO swing back to the usual or
Ter of business.
Ihe dance may go on and the bow
who goes to Sunday schoSl Just be-
ore Christmas time may relieve his
ears of not getting his name on the
santa Claus list this year.
Advertising signs, window dis.
Hays and ornamental lighting NAV
,e resumed. #
The public library and branches
md all business colleges will res
'pen Monday morning.
We believed that with thS
of coal which we are ass
ured is on the way to Omaha We
we're safe in lifting all restrictions"
aid HI. L. Snyder, chairman OF .hSS
criminal fuel committee.
We also. as a committee, felt
,eenly the burden which we had
imposed on both the social and in
ustrial lite of the city and were
ager to Withdraw all bans as soon
$ possible. We>are glad that the
ity can enter into the Ehristniaa
pirit without being bothered bR
tCsatiassd sa 1ass a. osluun q