The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-07-30
Conferees Unable to Agree
on War Committee and
Food Board.
PRESIDENT OPPOSES
FINANCIAL COUNCIL
Calls Congressional Super.
vision Reflection on
Administration.

Washington. July 29.--Conferees OF
the administration food control bill
reached an impassc tonight after al
all-day conference. and leaders decides
to confer with President Wilson O,
the two points remaining in dispute
the senate proposals to establish 3
congressional committee to supervise
war expenditures and to create &
board of three food administrators in.
stead Of one.
Upon all other questions the con.
ference committee reached O complete
agreement. Final enactment OF the
bill this week is hoped for by the
confcrees.
To Meet President Today.
Representative Lever, heading the
house conferees, and Senator Cham
berlain. who handled the bill in the
senate for the administration, will
take up with President Wilson tomor-
row the two remaining differences
following which the conferees will
meet again.
The president has declared the war
committee would be embarrassing and
would indicate lack Of confidence, ir
his conduct Of the war. Should he In
sist upon elimination OF the proposal,
as. expected. It appears probable that
the senate confcrees would yield the
point tomorrow. leaving a disagree
lnent only on the food board question.
The conferees agreed that in ad-
dition to foods. feeds and fuels, the
shall cant rol s.f,,cl :,
natural gas, fertilizer and fertilizer
ingredients. tools, utensils. implements
and implements required for the actual
production thereof all denominatcd
as necessaries.
The so-called control section Of the
house bill, much broader than the
senate's. was adopted. authorizing fed
cral regulation affecting speculation.
distribution and movement of the de-
sisnated necessaries.
Prohibition Of DistilIation.
The prohibition section, agreed to
yesterday. prohibits manufacture or
importation of distilled beverages dur
ing the war and authorizes the presi-
dent to limit the alcoholic content of
beer and wines and to commander
distilled beverages when necessary
This was u substitute for the house
"bone dry" section and for the senate
inhibition Of distilled beverage manu-
facture. -x
The Smoot amendment. declaring
federal purchase of all distilled spirits
in bond, was sticken out.
The additional section authorizing
communicating for redistillation,
whenever necessary for food conserva-
tion or military needs, was adopted as
framed by the senate. with its extern
sion to distilled beverages in stock as
wei as in bond.
Wheat Minimum Stands.
The senatc's provision fixing a 81
per bushel minimum price for wheat
at primary markets was adopted, cx-
cept that 1t was made applicable to
the 1918 crop and not this years. tho
81 price being made absolute and
binding until May 1. 1919.
Senator Pomcrcne's amendment au.
thorizing the president to fix coal and
coke prices and take over mines. was
adopted after a clause limiting such
powers to military or common defense
needs had been stricken out.
House License Plan Adopted.
Tho c0nferees substituted for the
senate's restricted licensing provision
the house plan for much broader fed
cral license regulation of importation.
manufacture, mining. storage and dis
tributiOn OF government controlled
neccssaries. The more rigorous section
OF the house bill prohibiting boarding
of necessaries, was reinserted. with
penalties OF 5000 fines and two years
imprisonment. The house section
pennlizing wilful destruction Of neces-
saries also was retained.
The houses drastic provisions
against monopoly Of necessanics and
authorizing regulation OF grain ex-
changes were retained. but Senator
Nelson's amendment regarding future
trading of grain exchanges was strick
en- out. The so-called Pomercne-
Walsh amendment, prohibiting storing
or holding OF necessaries, except by
producers. to limit the public supply
or affect the price. was retained.
Federal Power Limited.
The senate provision. limiting fed
eral requisitioning authority to nec-
essaries for military or other public
use also was retained, as was it's pro
vision limiting government purchases
and sales, in order to secure reason
able prices to fuel. wheat flour. meal
beans and potatoes.
A new section was adopted author
izing reQuisitioning- for military o,
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