Evening star., 1919-12-02
NEW FUEL ORDER
IS MORE DRASTIC
THANDUR|NGW WAR
Industries Not Essential to
Be Cut Off, Necessary Ones
Closely Watched.

Air-tight restrictions, more drastic
than the wartime fuel regulations.
are provided by the new fuel admin
lstration's S order issued yesterday.
The nation is faced with an alarming
dearth of coal and the saving of every
ton possible is deemed imperative. All
industries not absolutely. essential
will be rigidly cut off and points of
wastage in the essential industries
will be closely watched.
Application of fuel restrictions in
Washington is In the hands of the
central coal committee of the rail-
road administratio it was said at
the fuel administration today The
committee knows accurately the needs
of the city and will endeavor to make
satisfactory Regulations locally as the
national and regional coal crisis is
altered from day to day.
Ask People to Be Tolerant.
To quiet probable unrest among the
public. the people are called upon by
the fuel administration and the De-
partment of Justice to exercise pa
uence and tolerance. and to assist in
fuel conservation by reducing their
needs to the minimum.
Federal Fuel Administrator Garfield
has announced that distribution of
coal will be limited to the first five
classes of the priority list issued Octo-
Der 81. The first five classes thus con-
sidered essential are: Railroads and
inland and coaStwise waterways, Army
and Navy and other federal govern
ment departments: state. county and
municipal departments and institu-
tions: public utilities and retail deal
erS.
1t was learned that il it becomes
necessary to apply the rigid new rules
restricting use of fuel in the District
OF Columbia. electric display signs,
theaters, motion picture houses and
lighting of show windows of stores
probably will be the first to feel the
effect. These, it was stated. are con-
sldered non essential. and use of coal
to produce power for their use will be
forbidden. in order to increase the fuel
supplies for other and more essential
purposes.
1t was intimated that the first effort
VIII be to conserve fuel for domestic
use, for schools. for retail stores and
for Industrial plants producing such
essentials as food commodities, cloth
ing, etc.
Coal supply Situation.
Annual coal requirements of w.sb
;ngton are about 100000 tons of an
thracite and about 500. 900 tons of hi
luminous. according to official statistics.
large proportion Of apartment houses
nave on hand Il supply to last from
thirty to sixty days. Government de-
partment buildings are pretty weIl
provided. Private business houses and
office buildings and hotels in most
instances have not much reserve of
fuel. Their space is too valuable to
be used for the storage of much coal.
Figures We're not Immediately avbl-
able regarding the coal reserves of
the gas and electric companies. but in
any eventuality. it was pointed out
these interests would be provided for
because the actual necessities or the
citys population are almost wholly de-
With the latest information at hand
from all sections of the country re-
sarding daily coal supplies the CEN
trat committee will apply to Wash
ington regulations covering the use
of fuel. electricity and gas by non
essential industries. just the same as
those applied III other cities AS the
need arises local Investigators will
watch conditions in the District Of
ficials would not say how soon the
''non-essentials' would be cut off
Abundance of Pea Coal.
There is now in Washington. ac-
corlinG to one authority. an apparent
at the mines there is supply
available for the city's use in the
future. Pea coal is an unpopular size
and ordinarily is not in great demand
Mixed half anu nall with soft coal
it is said to be an excellent steam
COAL for use not only in power plants
but also in steam and hot-water heat
ing plants.
The fuel administrations decision TO
restrict present coal consumption is
in order to avert il coal famine in the
dead of winter. At the same time it
appealed to the public to endure pri-
vations, and to the miners to return
to work. The Attorney Genera. gives
every indication the government will
break the illegal coal strike if it takes
all winter to do SO. in order to protect
the public from yet higher living
costs He asserted it would be idle
to reopen negotiations regarding
wages in a parlcy between operators
and miners.