Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “As the ground hog saw his shadow on the 2nd of February, we had fully six weeks more of winter. The government compelled us to stop work on five Mondays, which pleased us, as we were so short of work we could well afford to close for the day.” U.S. Fuel Administration ordered a general shutdown of industry and businesses in all states east of the Mississippi River for a period of five days, and ten succeeding Mondays.
WWI caused an energy crisis and there was a severe coal shortage in the United States at the beginning of 1918. Keep in mind that coal was a major fuel source that powered generators, furnaces, factories and more. “Heatless Mondays” were aimed to relieve a serious coal shortage that threatened to delay the shipment of war supplies to France. On February 2, 1918, the “Herald and Review” reported, “heatless Mondays were decreed by the fuel administration Jan. 17 as a measure to save coal and to relieve railroad transportation” (Decatur, Illinois, page 1). There was vigorous opposition from commercial interests, especially department stores. Theaters had their heatless day changed to Tuesday.
On January 4, 1918, the “Ephraim Enterprise” reported, the government began to tighten its control over industry and business for the purpose of furthering war efforts and protecting the public” (Ephraim, Utah, page 4).
In addition to closing businesses for five Mondays, schools were closed and had abbreviated hours. Theatre matinees were cancelled, only open for a few hours in the evening. Chicagoans wrote letters to the newspaper pleading for fuel. Families with wood burning stoves sheltered their neighbors. Railroad companies dipped into their supplies, ensuring the continuation of city water in some areas. People froze to death during the bitter cold that hit the Northeast and Midwest. Coal stoves were converted to use Kerosene.
On January 10, 1918, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “More industries may shut down unless relief comes. Many industries throughout the Atlantic states closed their doors tonight under the paralyzing influence of the growing coal famine. New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, hardest hit of the coalless districts, tomorrow will face the prospect of part time business only for lack of heat and power. Fifty-one public schools in New York closed their doors yesterday, and others will be compelled to follow their example today because of empty coal bines. In Massachusetts business houses have been called upon by Fuel Administrator J. J Storrow to limit their hours to 9 o’clock in the morning to 5 in the evening. Boston theaters have been ordered to close at 10 o’clock, along with bowling alleys and all other places of amusement. A similar order was sent to saloons” (page 3).
Additional articles from Washington D.C, noted, “The fuel administration came in for sharp criticism in the house today. Representative Madden of Illinois said the ‘coal operators are getting rich at the expense of the overburdened taxpayers,’ and Representative Foster of the same state, who was in charge of the bill, declared that if the government cannot control prices it should take over the mines.”
On February 8, 1918, the Administration’s “Heatless Mondays” was abandoned after five weeks.
To be continued…
