Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-27
LIQUOR AND
FOOD CONTROL
The Senate Is Struggling With
the Bills Sent to 1t by the
House of Representatives
Special Correspondent EvcnuD Ledger


Members Of the House, despairng Of early
action because Of the senate deliberations
are anticipating three-day adjournmentS
under the terms Of the Constitution during
the remainder of the summer Some Of
them are leaving this week with no exrec-
tation Of returning TO Washington until
after the Fourth Of July. As rule, the
members Of the House are tired Of their Job
and find little comfort in the prospect of r
hot-weather session in Washington. They
are congratulating themselves, however.
upon having put through most Of the war
legislation 90 far in advance Of the Senate.
| II the country grows restless and the Presi-
| dent begins to find fault. the members Of the
House are in a position to say that their
| work is up to date and the responsibility
| for the delay in the enactment NJ necessary
/ war measures reatf with another body. The
/ Senate on the other hand, IS proceeding
I cautiously. and so far nc the tax bill Is con-
cerncd is going over the ground with great
| thoroughness. As to the food bill. II began
to discuss that before the House took up the
measure. and was stll discussing it after
the House bill had been passed
House Debate Lively
The House debate on the food bill occu-
pied one full week. II was by no means
complete triumph for the Administration,
or for Mr.. Hoover who is to he the food
dictator In some respects the House so
changed the Administration bill as to let il
be known that "absolutsm' is not written
in the Congressional directory. Not that
the Lever bill, as passed, did not confer
extraordinary powers upon the President.
for il certainly did that. But In comforting
them enough limitations were added to tn"
bill 10 make 1t clear that those whom the
President might appoint could not exercise
such unusual functions without accounting
to Congress and the people The bill car
ricd an appropriation Of S2.5o0,0oo, which
the Government controlled establishment
was to have at its disposal for expenses
Immediately and until expended" These
words we're stricken out and until June 30,
1915" was inserted. so that II the money
was not expended, or more money was
needed. Mr.. Hoover or the President would
have to come back to Congress. As TO the
total appropriation Of Sl5o00o,ooo to carry
out the purposes Of the act including the
communicating Of mines. warehouses.
stocks. etc. and theSguaranteeing Of farm
ers' prices, that was allowed to stand, but
with an amendment requiring the President
to make detailed report to Congress on
January / Of each year Is to the prop.
erty purchased, the persons employed and
the salaries paid a general statement Of
receipts and expenditures incident to Mr..
Hoover's operations was also required. An
other notable amendment provided for the
employment Of all persons under the pro-
vision Of the civil service law. IT has been
a standing charge on the Republican side
that the Wilson Administration has not
been fully observant Of the civil service
regulations, As to war measures, Demo-
Gratis contendcd there was no special rca-
son why there should he, and they resisted
a civil service amendment when offered to
the food bill It passed, after a fight, only
by a majority of one, on the first count A
call for tellers demanded by the Democrats,
increased the Republican majority on this
proposition to l75 yeas and 1875 nays, The
civil Service Commission estimates that
three or ,Our thousand employees may be re-
auired by the Hoover food directorate.
The Prohibition Amendment
BY far the most interesting fight Of all
was on the so-Called nationwide prohibition
amendment. It was understood that neither
the President nor Mr. Hoover expected
bone dry" amendment to go into the bill
All they asked for was that whenever the
President found II necessary to prohibit
the use Of certain foods in the production
Of alcoholic beverages he might limit or
prohibit them The bill went so far as to
give the President this discretion as TO
alcoholic or nonalcoholiC beverages" Car
ried to extremes, that would have meant
that sugar and molasSes might be pro-
hibited as syrups in soft drinks in drug
stores. II was on this paragraph the pro>
hibitionists got In their work After num-
Der of amendments had been offered and
fought over they succeeded in having passed
an amendment which struck out the disCre,
tionary power conferred upon the President
and left standing only that part Of the
paragraph which provided as follows: NO
person shall use any food food materials
or feeds in the production Of alcohol or Of
alcoholic beverages This Is what the
papers reported as the bone-dry amend
ment" II was interpreted by the chairman
Of the Agricultural Committee in his closing
speech 10 he "a good thing fct the State
Of Kentucky which has a large stock Of
distilled spirits on nand nut a bad thing
for the brewers Of malt liquor who would
probably he put out of business II the
amendment became law. In fact. it was
charged in the debate that more than goo
100000 gallons Of whisky now in bond
would he put on Easy street" at good
prices for the period Of the war when pro,
hibition prevailed as to all other beverages
This argument was subsequently met by
another amendment providing that the
President should commander all alcohol
and distilled spirits which he might find
necessary in the manufacture of munitions,
or for hospital supplies These amend
ments passed in short order, because the
prohbitionsts had the greater number of
votes. on the "hone-dry". amendment the
yeas were l30 and the nay8 ia
Liquor Problem Foreboding
Although the prohibitionists obtained the
upper hand in the Hoase fight It is not Ger.
tain that their victory s exactly what the
Administration desired TO have take place
Thousands Of men and women who have
their money invested in the liquor business
have been bitterly complaining TO Congress
Of what they term an act OF coniscation
They comment upon the fact that Great
Britain increased It's supply Of beer on
the very day the House passed the bone
dry amendment They insist that the
foreign governments at war are furnishing
thafy ynfttb has III.