The sun., 1919-03-25
NO COAL SHORTAGES
MENACE UTILITIES
Shutdown Peril Here Is Called
Fiction by Navy
Report.
EMERGENCY HAS PASSED
Acting Secretary Roosevelt
Leaves Supply Problem
to Administrator.
Special Dsspnfch 10 TIE suN.

rpenus DssDdtch 10 IHE Sun.
WARRINGTON, March 24.-Acting Sec
rotary Of tho Navy Roosevelt, in letter
to DR., Garfield, Federal Fuel Admins
traitor, made public tonight. denied that
there was danger of public utilities OF
New York city shutting down through
failure Of the. navy to supply their plants
with coal, and pointed out that the navy
merely stepped in temporarily to insure
the coal supply to New York Mr..
Roosevelt served notice that the emer-
gency requiring the interposition OF the
navy had passed and that It would
leave the matter to the Fuel Adminlstra-
ton and the Railroad Administration of
getting the coal supply to New York's
public utility plants.
you will remember forwarding me
some time ago a letter from the Public
Service Commission Of the First New
York District" Mr.. Roosevelt wrote,
calling attention to the danger of a
failing coal supply to the public SER
vice corporations of tho city OF New
York owing to the interruption OF the
regular service due to the present labor
difficulties between the tugboat owners
and their employees. At that time the
navy promised In view of the sudden
and unexpected emergency that II would
In some way see that New York was
provided with transit facilities and light
without regard to what the strict in
depreciation of the regulations or laws
might be. until such time ss a moro
proper method OF handling the situation
could be devised
Says Navy Made Good.
The navy as you know has made
good on that promise and I would like
to take this occasion to correct an i'm
preston which seems to be prevalent
in the New York press that the Inter-
borough Railway was in danger OF q
shut down through what the newspapers
described as failure OF the navy to
keep II supplied with coal. 1t was due
to the navy's activities that arrange
ments were made with the Railroad Ad-
mfnistration In the first place and on
the particular might in question the
navy officers remained at their posts
until late at night ready TO move other
coal with their own tugs Immediately to
the plant Of the Interborough Company
should the delayed tugs OF the Railroad
Administration fail TO arrive in time"
Mr.. Roosevelt declared II is not Gus
tomary or proper for the navy to act
as coal supplier in that way as a reg
ular thing. and that the navy stepped
In merely as a temporary expedient to
bridge over ca perilous situation" A
careful survey of the situation by Capt.
Hutchinson. charged with directing a my
and navy tugs IN New York harbor. a
representative of the United States Fuel
Administration, and Col. Kerrick. whose
army duties correspond with the navy
duties of Capt Hutchinson. and a per-
eonal representative of the Acting Secre-
tary Of the Navy. was followed by q
personal conference with A. II. Smith.
regional director for the Railroad Ad-
ministration. the latter said. As re-
suit It was determined that at now
seems proper for the navy to give up
any further responsibility in the supply
ing OF this coal"
There is now sufficient coal to take
care of the plants In question during
the first part OF this week. Mr.. Roose-
Welt declared. and every Indication that
the plants would be able to supply them
selves with sufficient coal from day to
day to continue operations, although by
very narrow margin. Mr.. Roosevelt
admitted in the letter that "a suspension
of forty-eight hours OF all coal deliveries
would result in n perilous situation"