NEW YORK STRIKE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24799, 13 February 1946, Page 7

NEW YORK STRIKE

Many Premises Closed RESULT OF FUEL SHORTAGE (NuZ. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 12. The Mayor of New York (Mr William O’Dwyer) ordered all the city s commercial, business, and industrial establishments, theatres, night clubs, bars, and other places of amusement to close at midnight last night until further notice because of the luel shortage caused by the tugboat strike, which has lasted a week. Schools were already closed. The tugboat employers have so far not agreed to submit the dispute to arbitration. Public utilities, transportation, communications, and health services are excluded from the order, but transportation facilities will be rigidly limited and traffic schedules curtailed. Persons not engaged in priority occupations have been asked to refrain from using such facilities. Other exemptions from the order are grocers’ stores, restaurants, bakeries, butcheries. milk plants, chemists’ stores, petrol stations, newspapers, and press services. New York city gets most of its oil and coal by boat across the Hudson from New Jersey, and since the strike began supplies have dwindled to a point where yesterday, with a maximum temperature of 37 degrees, many homes and offices were without heat. Mr O’Dwyer’s proclamation, which was broadcast from all stations, directed all persons working on premises ordered to shut down and in industries not exempted to stay away from the premises. The proclamation directed closings “irrespective of the tyne of fuel used and regardless of available sunolies on hand.” The police went round the city ordering premises to be closed. Churches ,are allowed to remain open, but will not receive fuel.