FUELLESS METROPOLIS

Evening Star, Issue 25716, 13 February 1946, Page 5

FUELLESS METROPOLIS

CRISIS IN NEW YORK NEW CLOSING HOURS ORDERED (Rec. 8 a.m.) NEW YORK, February 12. The Mayor, 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 1 at midnight last night until further notice owing to the fuel shortage caused by the tugboat strike, which has now lasted a week, City schools are already closed. Public utilities, transportation communications, and health services are excluded from the order, but transportation facilities will be rigidly limited, and traffio schedules curtailed. Persons not engaged in priority occupations have been asked to refrain from using such facilities. The tugboat employers so far have not agreed to submit the dispute to arbitration, Other exemptions from the order are grocers, restaurants, bakeries, butcheries, milk plants, chemists, petrol-filling stations, newspapers, ana 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 37deg, many homes and offices were without heat, Mr O'Dwyer's proclamation, which was broadcast from all stations, directed all persons working on the premises ordered to shut down, and in the unexempted industries to stay away from the 'premises. The proclamation directed the closings " irrespective of the type of fuel used and regardless of available supplies on hand." Police went round the city ordering the premises to be closed.- Churches are allowed to remain open, but will not receive fuel.