Evening star., 1945-01-11
Coal SHORTAGE
Threat Causes
Curb on Heat
Byrnes Also Orders
New Restrictions on
Lighting and TroveI

~5S eAiHC WoNio Wv GilC COullIIy
Stockpile below safe level by
April is bringing new restric-
tions on heating, lighting and
transportation.
Outlining the situation in a state.
ment last night, War Mobilization
Director Byrnes requested that tenn
peratures in all homes and public
buildings be held at 68 degrees. He
coupled with this the imposition of
"hrownout." The War Production
Board was instructed to issue orders
banning all Illuminated outdoor adj
vertising and any ornamental or
display lighting which uses coal
generated electricity.
Further Mr. Byrnes told the Of
flee OF Defense Transportation to
eliminate special and excursion
trains and extra passenger sched-
ules to resorts What ODT will DO
about it is not clear, for some time
ago it froze passenger train sched-
ules and forbade specials
Curb Also Applies to Oil.
Mr.. Byrnes said these steps were
necessary to cope with the impend-
ing shortage and avoid the ration.
ing of fuel.
The curb on heat in houses and
offices-with which compliance Is
voluntary-will apply to those
heated by gas and oil as well as by
coal. That was on the reasoning
that oil is rationed and much gas
used for heating comes from coal.
The Secretary of the Interior,
who is also solid fuels adminis-
trator4 estimates it will be necessary
to reduce the overall consumption
of bituminous coal by 25,000,000 tons
during l945." Mr.. Byrnes said.
This is based on the assumption
there is no stoppage of work during
the year"
The United Mine Workers con-
tract expires March 81, and, in the
absence of an agreement, fears have
been expressed that a situation will
develop comparable to that of last
year, when breakdown in nego-
tiations between operators and
miners precipitated a series Of
strikes.
Factors in Situation.
The War Mobilization Director
cited these factors in the tight coal
4 situation: .,.-.- s---r-Y4sN.
/ Bituminous coal requirements for
1945 are estimated at 100000, 600
tons, production at 100000 tons.
Consumption exceeded production
in 1914 and 1943. The number of
miners in 1945 is expected to fall
to 10000, compared with 435, 900
in 1943 and 100000 last year.
The production deficit in the
past has been met by digging into
the Nations coal piles. But Mr..
Byrnes said stock piles will be down
to 100000 tons by April l and
that is only 22-day supply And
by the time the stock pile gets below
30-day supply, he said, serious
distribution problems may be ex-
pected."
| Because of the manpower short
age and the administrative problem
involved, I hope coal rationing can
be avoided" Mr.. Byrnes said. 7 am
certain the public will support
Fundamentally a coal conservation
program which will assure the coal
essential for war purposes. I be-
| lieve this action will give us the
| savings that now seem imperative
if our fUll war effort is to be main-
tanned
The heating curb is expected to
save 100000 tons; that on light
ing, 100000 tons. No figure was
given on the prospective savings
from the transportation restrictions.
Element of Confusion.
The way the Government tackled
the coal problem disclosed an ele-
ment of confusion. A few hours
before Mr.. Byrnes acted, Secretary
of the Interior Ickes had called for
the holding of temperatures to 10
degrees or lower in ali large build
ings east of the Mississippi River
which are heated by soft coal. Un-
less this is done, he said, there will
be more rigid controls on fuel de-
| liveries
At press conference this morn
ing Mr.. Ickes indicated that he had
inspired the Byrnes announcement
and was aware it was coming. He
said he expressed anxiety over the
coal situation at cabinet meeting
last Friday. The following day Mr..
Byrnes asked him to write letter
of the facts. The letter was sent
Mr.. Byrnes Tuesday.
Asked about the discrepancy be.
tween the recommended tempera-
lures, Mr.. Ickes said the important
thing was to get the public to CO.
operate in lowering temperatures.
Mr., Ickes disclosed that some
manufacturing plants were pretty
well down. in coal stocks, and he
warned that if the weather con-
(See FUEL, Page A-l4D
II