Evening star., 1945-02-03
Conservation
Continued From First Page.)

be punished by having their priori-
ties or allocations cut off
Meanwhile some Washington
merchants expressed fear that the
"brownout" order, restricting COM
mercial lighting as a coal-conserv-
ing measure, would cut into their
evening business.
Some women, merchants reported
have expressed fear of going down
on Thursday nights, when most
stores are open, because of the dimly
lighted streets. Other businessmen
complained that because of the ban
on outside electric advertising Gus
toners could not tell whether store
was open. Lacy Shaw of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
ton expressed the hope that the
present regulations would be modi-
fed to permit stores to put a small
light in their windows, indicating
that they were doing business.
Only Counties Affected.
The Baltimore Office of the WPB
reported today that the WPB To-
hour ban on the use of critically
short natural and mixed gas in
amusement places would apply only
to Allegany and Garrett Counties in
Maryland, the Associated Press re-
ported
WPB officials said those counties
were the only ones in which those
cases were utilized and, the only
ones affected by the serious emer-
gency in Appalachian Mountain
regions. &.
States affected by the curb on gas
are New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio
West Virginia, Kentucky, parts of
Maryland and Virginia and the
District. 1t went into effect at 7
pm. yesterday and will continue
until the same hour Monday or
until further notice"
The new four-day ODT ban on
the movement of civilian freight
applies to most of Ohio. Pennsyl-
vania, New York, New Jersey, Mary
land Delaware, parts of Virginia
and West Virginia and the District.
Confusion in Detroit.
A mix-up on the WHIPS gas con-
servation order caused confusion in
Detroit war plants yesterday, the
Associated Press reported. The
Michigan Consolidated Gas Co.. un-
derstanding that the ruling applied
to Michigan, moved to reduce gas
deliveries to the plants and nearly
$4,000 workers were sent home. Illi-
nois, Indiana and Michigan were
Included in the WHIPS first informal
announcement but were excluded in
a later formal ruling. Senator Fer
guson, Republican, of Michigan, an
nounced that he would investigate
the f1asco.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press
reported, T. E. German, executive
secretary of the Illinois Fuel Mer-
chants Association announced he
had appealed to the State Depart
ment to halt temporarily planned
shipment of $4,000 tons of Illinois
coal to Brazil and Argentina. The
shipments, he said, were planned for
February and March.
The State Department said that
Mr.. Gordon's appeal had been re-
ceived and said that some state
ment on it might be issued later in
the day.
The coal situation remained the
most critical. In Ohio Gov. Frank
j.. Lausche ordered all State build
ings closed for the week end, and
New York's Gov. Thomas E. Dewey
matched the order, the Associated
Press reported.
Gov. Lausche said he would formu-
late a conservation program today
to last until April /. Retail coal piles
in Ohio were reported barren. and
schools were planning four day
weeks, with a possibility they might
not open at all on Monday
Milk Deliveries Cut.
In New York 1t was uch-and-go
from Albany to Buffalo. Charles
H. Sells, State director of transporta-
ton and supplies in the emergency,
said milk deliveries had been cut as
much as 40 per cent in some cities.
He warned the egg shortage would
increase, and that meat supplies
were tight.
About IS, 200 Pennsylvania anthra-
cite miners went to work today fol-
lowing an appeal yesterday by the
Solid Fuels Administration that they
work a full day today at regular pay
rates to help ease the critical coal
shortage, the Associated Press re-
ported from Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Only
1900 miners were idle, Owen E. Will
lian1s, regional SFA representative
said.
Approximately 10000 tons of
coal will be mined today" Mr.. Will
liams said.
The heavy winter weather also
made inroads on the natural gas
supply, dragging pressures to what
the WPB considered dangerously
low levels.
The board said it's purpose was to
keep gas going to vital war plants,
of which more than 200 have been
closed because Of the shortage
rather than to husband dwindling
coal piles. The order, therefore,
does not apply to points using arti-
f1cial gas.