Evening star., 1946-05-03

so that Pepco will never be
without a Today reserve.
The Government today or
dered coal-burning railroads to
reduce passenger service so per
cent, effective May Is, in a move
to conserve discriminating fuel
supplies. About three e-fourths of
the Nations rail system is de-
pendent on coal.
The drastic Office of Defense
Transportation order followed an
earlier directive to the railroads to
cut coal-burning passenger service
Is per cent, beginning May 10, and
banning virtually all freight ship
ments except fuel and food. ODT
Director j. Monroe johnson had
warned that the fuel famine would
make necessary much more severe"
measures if the coal strike is pro-
longed.
Effects of the 33-day-old strike,
meanwhile, were spreading generally
over the country like prairie fire.
Methods Up to Companies.
Col. johnson further directed rail
lines to cancel passenger reserva-
tions where necessary and ito take
such other action as may be neces-
sary to carry out the terms and pur-
poses of this order" Ways of effect
ing reductions of service was left
up to the individual company, but
the ODT director told a reporter
that ANY road which finds it neces-
sary has my permission to put these
cuts into effect before May 10 or
60 deeper
Engineers of the Potomac Electric
Power Co. and the Public Utilities
Commission are to meet today to
discuss ways of reducing the use of
electric power. j. H. Ferry, Peco
general manager, said the situation
was so serious as result of coal
shortage that action must be taken
not later than the middle of next
week." So far, PUG has authorized
the company to take no action.
John L. Lewis. boss of the 400, 1000
striking soft coal miners, and the
mine operators conferred again
today in an effort to resolve con-
tract differences which brought on
the stoppage April /. Later, Mr.
Lewis and other union officials went
to the Labor Department for con-
ference with Secretary Schwellen-
bach.
President Truman voiced alarm
over the spreading effect of the
coal shortage He described the
situation as very serious at his news
conference late yesterday, but indi-
Gated the Government was not yet
ready to take further steps in the
dispute. In time, he said, the mine
shutdown must be viewed as strike
against the Government and, should
matters reach that stage, the Gov
ernment will act accordingly.
Other high Federal officials pre-
dicted the whole industrial econ
omy will be seriously crippled within
20 days" if the strike continues.
Middle West Hardest Hit.
Chicago, most of Illinois generally
and Northern Indiana, apparently
were hardest hit by the coal short
age, although the situation was
nearly as acute in other portions
of the country. The Nations second
city was in a state of emergency
and very much confused, the Asso-
ciated Press reported, as the full
effect of an order cutting use of
electricity struck all phases of busi-
ness and industry.
Wartime darkness returned to
Chicago and two-thirds of Illinois
last night as lights blinked out
under the emergency dimouts Or
dered by the State Commerce Com
mission. Twenty-Five counties of
Northern Indiana, including the big
steel-producing Calumet area, were
under similar order by the In
diana Public Service Commission.
Business, commercial and indus
trial leaders struggled to ar
range working schedules to con-
form to the directives imposed in
an effort to save rapidly diminish
ing coal supplies.
Thousands of appeals were made
to the Illinois commission to relax
the drastic electricity rationing as
the order became effective yesterday,
but the commission said no ex-
ceptions will be made in the
directive.
Warning Repeated.
The commission reiterated a
warning that violations of the order
directing industry to use electricity
"a hours a week and commercial
users, including stores and theaters,
from to 6 pm, from Monday
through Saturday, would result in
power being turned off.
Government departments here
were circularized to save electricity
as theaters and store continued the
partial dimout which was instituted
last night.
It was understood that Pepco en-
pineers and the PUG would discuss
the following restrictive plans and
draw up recommendations:
l. Heavy industry would be lin
tied to 24-hour-a-week power ra-
ton on 5-day week.
2. All commercial establishments,
stores, tfeaters and Office buildings
would receive electric power only
from 2 to pm. on weekdays and
none on Sundays.
3. Government agencies, which
use one-third of the electric power