Evening star., 1946-11-26
Z Businessmen
Face Arrest as
Dimout vioIators
District Moy Reduce
Street Lighting TO
Conserve Power

SssSSstS WV
As the impact of the coal striE
increased throughout the Ma
ton today, these developments
marked the coal crisis in Wash
ington:
/. Police prepared to apply for
warrants for the arrest Of operators
Of two business establishments, who,
they said, had failed-after being
warned-to comply with the local
dimout regulation. This was the
first breakdown by police.
2. Col. Kenneth Madsen, Assistant
Engineer Commissioner, and High
way Director H. C. Whitehurst were
to confer on the possibility of dim
ming street lighting.
g. Potomac Electric Power Co. an
nounced the dimout, had resulted in
only 10 per cent saving Of power
for the 24-hour period ending at 10
am today. This is only half of
the amount sought by city officials
to stretch coal supplies as long as
possible.
Pepco said 1t had received $500
tons of coal yesterday from supplies
in transit at the time of the miners
walkout last week. The company's
stockpile remained at 31-day sup
ply, based on normal operations.
| Col. Madsen said he expected to
report to the Commissioners later
today. He doubted that any street
lighting dimout would be ordered
by nightfall. He would not specu-
late on what he and Mr.. Whitehurst
would decide.
Capt Clyde N. Strange, comman-
der of the I'd precinct, said his
men plan to confer with the Cor
poration Counsel's Office and to ask
for warrants against the two. busi-
nessmen accused as violators. Their
names were not released.
He said, however, that the estab-
lishments, located in the midcity
area Of Northwest Washington, had
received police warnings against
night lighting, but that they had
persisted in burning lights.
Elsewhere in the city, police con-
tinued to issue warnings to persons
who have not yet complied with the
regulations.
At meeting of the District Com
missioners and the Steering Com
mittee of the Washington Board OF
Trade late yesterday, the dimout
regulations were supplanted by the
Civilian Production Administration
order that went into effect in q
Eastern and Midwestern States at 6
pm. yesterday.
Rephrased to Avoid Confusion.
Oficials stressed the action
amounted only to a rephrasing "to
avoid any possible confusion to
iWashingtonians."
The Government last night tight
.iened controls over the Nations
lldwindling soft coal supplies by put
I ting new curbs on deliveries to
fschools and Federal, State and mu-
inicipal governments. The Solid
Fuels Administration ruled that
schools and Government establish
|ments must apply for coal to the
Washington Office.
Under the order, coal deliveries
may be made by retail dealers with
out specific authority from STA
to public utilities, railroads, laun-
dries, hospitals, dairies, bakeries and
other essential installations.
VioIators Face Fine.
At the same time the CPA dis
closed it had sent letters to all elec-
trio utilities in the areas affected
by the dimout. calling their atten-
ton to the fact that they are re-
quired to assist in enforcement.
CPA's dimout regulation was
issued under the Second War Powers
Act and under it, violators may be
punished by a maximum of $4,000
fine and one year Imprisonment.
Secretary of the Interior Krug an
nounced that 'less than two days of
coal production remains frozen at
mines and tide water ports.
'This coal, along with that frozen
in retail yards and on commercial
docks, will be released only to essen
tial users who have less than 10 days
supply on hand, and only when full
factual information of particular
needs has been verified.
Goal supplies available for emer-
gency distribution are SO scarce that
release must be on the most
stringent basis"
The washington high school foot
ball championship game between
Coolidge and Mckinley will be held
Friday night at Griffith Stadium as
originally scheduled.
A CPA spokesman explained that
the ban on outdoor flood lighting
does not go into effect in any area
until the local electric company has
only a 15-day supply of coal. AS Of
today, stocks on hand here were
sufficient for 81 days normal opera
tions and 38 days assuming 20 per
cent saving can be effected under
| the nrocaYt roO1i1af fforo