The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-09
|Interpretations Needed

Announcement that the drastic ma
tion-wide restrictions had been restored,
reducing the operating schedules OF
noflexcepted industries from rs hours,
or six days per week, to three days,
set all Memphis manufacturers affected
to speculating Just how they should
proceed Generally they decided they
hour schedule until ruling could be
got from the regional director at At
lanta.
Heads of these plants almost uni
formly stated that should the Wash
ington restriction mean the A-hour
week, az Indicated. and have to he com :
piled with, they would have 10 lay Oft
many of their employees. Thus the first
unemployment to result In Memphis
from the fuel consumption restrictions
would occur.
Affected plants have been taking
care OF their employees since the az
hour schedule went into effect But
II was said that II would hardly be
possible to keep on normal sized crews
II operating but three days the week,
The factory manager Of the American
Bag company declared that even with
the new order In force they would be
able to keep their male employees oC-
cupied throughout the week, but they
would be compelled to lay or their
200 girl empioyes during the idle part
OF the week
Because Of the character Of the ma
jorty OF Memphis industries, the three.
day week would not cause as exten'
sive paralysis Of operations or as wide
spread unemployment as might be eX.
rected The largest manufacturing
group, the hardwood lumber mills, the
veneer mills and cooporage mills escapi
the restrictions because they operate
a IL -
The cottonseed mills, OF which there
are over dozen large ones in the city
are exempted because they manufac'
ture an essential food product Tn,
stock feed manufactures, Of whlcl
there are nine large ones, according
to John b, edgar, OF the Edgar Nor
gan company, will escape restrictions
tecausc they manufacture an essentla
product Even the large foundries ant
machine shops, such as the ChIckasav
Machine and Foundry Co., W, e. Elh'
a Sons, and the Memphis Machine
works, win escape measure of th'
restrictions because part OF their op
rations consist In making repairs L
essential industries, such SIS the oil mill
and public utilities, laundries and foo,
manufactures. They Will be permitted
to operate to make these necessary re
pairs.
The embarg0es on deu freight In Of
feet on the Frisco railroad have becl
modified TO permit limited acceptance
Of southbound shipments, where sucl
do not interfere with the movement q
coal
Local railway officials. for the mos
part were decidedly optimistic Tues
day morning over the prospect OF al
| early settlement Of the coal strike, bu
some OF the local merchants are anticl
patlng even more drastic restrictions.
After all the urgent needs OF the es
| sential Industries and retail coal deal
cars Of coal In the Memphis termina
| Tuesday morning, which Is about tn
average. 1t Is subject to award 70
| local use through the regional fuel com
| mittee at Atlanta. The one third GU
| in passenger mileage has been com
| pleted here end there has been n
| changes In the passenger schedule
| Stree those announced Monday, Pas
| senger and express business continue
| heavy, but is being handled without un
| due inconvenience to the public rail
| way officials claim
| y Iowenstein's department store 70
mained open on oil for fuel until
| nm. Monday. but 50 far as could b
| learned the other big department store
| closed et 4 p,r Most Of the smalle
| stores have perfected arrangements 10
| remaining open after nm. withou
| using coal wod or ra,a for light or heat
| No trainmen we're laid off NJ re-
| suit Of the cut in passenger schedules
| the men finding employment on othe
! runs,