OIL & FUEL CRISIS

Grey River Argus, 14 February 1946, Page 5

OIL & FUEL CRISIS

NEW YORK TUG STRIKE % — Big Business Squeals NEW YORK, Feb. 13 . Mayor O’Dwyer to-night lifted the' restrictions which had virtually shut down the city for 18 hours. The schools will remain closed. The Associated Press says: New York, on this, Lincoln’s birthday, was a silent and bewildered city. Wartime restrictions at their worst old not impose such austerities as O’Dwyer’s fuel-saving proclamation closing all places except those vitally concerned with public safety and health. Taverns, movies, theatres, ana other amusement houses were all closed' to-day. Many thousands ot clerks and office workers congregated outside the closed buildings, and department stores and ° thei ; shops were seemingly bewildered and stunned by the Mayor’s unprecedented order. Wall Street, ordinarily teeming with people, was as quiet as Trinity churchyard. a spokesman for the tugboat employers said the industry owners were not opposed in principle to ar bitration, but the industry could not accept wage increases and. other costs without adequate price m* creases. (Rec. 9.5.) NEW YORK, Feb. 12. Health Commissioner _ Stebbins, broadcasting, said twenty-six hundred thousand gallons of fuel oil was delivered in New York during to-day, while the Office of Defence Transportation assured the city of sixteen additional tugs to-morrow. It said than an emergency was brought about by the fact that last night there was under one quarter of the city’s daily fuel oil needs. This emergency has now somewhat been relieved, but fuel rationing would remain in effect. Employing the same abrupt technique to end the state of emergency as he used to announce it, the Mayor of New York, Mr. O’Dwyer, broadcast the news of the ending to bewildered New Yorkers this evening, thus ending one of the most confused, most chaotic days in the city s history. I The New York “Daily News’’ says: An improvement in the fuel oil supplies apparently was responsible for the sudden termination of the ' emergency. An equally significant factor was a clamour by the city’s business interests. Representatives of financial and business interests, and entertainment industries besieged the City Hall and the Police Headquarters throughout the day. The city was quickly returning to normal to-night. Most businesses are expected to open as usual to-morrow morning. The New York “Times” says: “It was the most drastic disruption of the city’s life since the civil war draft riots in 1863. The emergency resulted in staggering economic losses for the amusement industry interests, including night, clubs. It estimated their loss at one million dollars during eighteen idle hours. Departmental store owners claimed losses were three millions. Many business interests are considering taking legal action against the city to recover damages. Meanwhile, the strike continues, although prospects of a settlement seem brighter. Mr. James McAllister, spokesman for the employers, to-night announced a willingness to resume negotiations with the union.