Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-11

Warning was issued today by officials
of the railroad administration, the fuei
administrator. District officials anc
others familiar with coal mining condi-
tons against overconfidence on the
part of the public as to immediate re
suits of the calling off of the coal strike.
While international officers of the
mine workers union voted yesterday at
indianapolis to end the strike, IL was
urged that restrictive measures designed
TO conserve bituminous coal must not be
relaxed until orders designed to effect
such conservation are officially revoked.
Washington's retail stores today went
on a six-hour basis, stores opening at
noon, the closing hour being 6 O'Clock
this evening; while manufacturing es-
Establishments inaugurated a program Of
half-time work, some of them planning
to operate three consecutive days a
week and others working half 4 day
each day.
Bars Outside Lights.
No outside lights of any kind will lie
permitted in the District of Columbia to-
night, according to announcement today
by Lieut.. Evans of the police DEPART
ment, in charge of enforcement of the
fuel conservation orders.
Motion picture houses, theaters, res
taurants of all kinds and all othe;
places of business in the city are in
cluded in this order. Lieut.. Evans de-
clared. and the order will be rigidly en-
forced.
Eating places. drug stores and Of
noes OF physicians and dentists Lieut.
Evans said. viii be permitted, after
O'Clock PM, to use half lights inside
but no outside lights whatever.
working hours at the District build
ing Today were changed from am
4:a0 pm. to $3.50 amt pm.
Two Points Cleared Up.
Rulings of the federal authorities
/! today clarified two points in regard
! 10 which numerous Inquiries have
been made. it was ruled that gaso-
line-seiling stations may use outside
lights from to S O'Clock pm. and
that sHbdued lights may be used H.
store windows until s O'Clock pm.
such lights being sufficient only to
! indicate that the stores are open.
Takes Time to Resume Fully.
1t was officially urged that no i'm
mediate let-down be permitted in coal
conservation because of the calling
OF of the strike, as the mines could
not be operated at anything like ca
pacity before Monday at the earliest
Orders sent out last night by union
officials could not reach all districts
before tonight. Even the Pennsylva-
mia and West Virginia districts could
not receive the orders earlier.
Coal miners are superstition
class of men. il was pointed out. and
* was not believed any of them would
begin work, after a strike, on Friday
Practically no miners ever work Oh
Saturday or Sunday, so that Monday
would be the earliest probable day
for actual resumption of coal produc-
ton.
A week or ten days would be required
for production to apDroXimate mine
capacities. so that probably II would not
be until a day or 50 before Christmas
that the mines would be prod acing coal
up to their limit or the limit of the rail
roads ability TO transport ii.
Take Week Arine HOLIDAYS.
Coal miners never work during the
week between Christmas and New Year.
The holiday week vacation is an insti-
tuition among men who dig coal. So thar
production of coal would practically
cease during that week. after only a
week or ten days actual production fol-
lowing the end of the strike.
Another week following New Year
probably would be REQUIRED to get the
miners back to work again and to bring
production up the capacity.
In view of those conditions and facts.
1t appeared today to persons familiar
with the situation and with conditions
in the coal mining industry that meas
ditions is not to be expected until about
the second week in January This being
the case. il is urged that no relaxation
of coal conservation measures be per
mitted and that every regulation de-
signed to cut down the use of coal for
power. heat and light production be
obeyed literally until the orders are
rescinded by the fuel administrator.
stores Open at Noon.
All of the large department store
and practically all other retail estab-
iishments in the city did not open IN
til noon today. and will close at .
o'clock this evening. this action be-
ing taken in response to the request
of the fuel administrator and Com
mi ssioner Brownlows order. and IN
pursuance of the action taken yester4
day at a special meeting of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
ton.
Only food stores and drug stores
We're exempt from the noon opening
and 6 o'clock closing. Restaurants
and hotels were included in the form
err classification.
gas lights and whose places of bust
ness are heated from central heatinG
plants or by means of furnaces or
stoves using soft coal, are included la
the regulatory orders permitting the
use of lights and heat only six hours
A dav. according to statement of
H. b. Spencer chairman of the central
coal committee
Lights and heat may be. used any
six hours the dealers choose. Chair
man Spencer said. Dealers may use
light and heat from z to 10 O'Clock
a m and from to z O'Clock p. m, il