The Washington times., 1917-07-16

OBJECTS TO
COMMENTON
HIS FOOD BILL
Oklahoma SoIon Answers Arti-
Gle Which Linked His Name
With Selfish Interests, Inter
viewing Himself.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

Senator Gore of Oklahoma evil
IDENTIFY didn't like what was said in
these columns last Friday about his
substitute for the food bill. On that
day the writer spoke of the selfish
interests which were fighting food
control and linked the name Of Sem
ator Gore with them. So the Okla
homa Senator sends in reply the fol-
lowing interview with himself:
Senator Gore said: The only sig
nifcance. II any significance. attach
ing to Mr.. Lawrence's alleged anAly-
sis Is due to the fact that he is sup
posed to be an inspired oracle II his
analysis was intended as a piece Of
fction or as mere campaign dope TO
excite pretudices, It may perhaps Be
regarded as a work OF art-I would
not say hno art. II It was intended
as a serious analysis OF L. substitUts
It had no relation either to the facts
or to the bill. do not urge hat
with any special complaint
Others IneIudeL
~aIr, Lawrence said: An analysis
Of what the Gore substitute provides
shows clearly that IT ends all Ii
censing at the elevators and exempts
packing houses, etc, from the opera
tion Of the law" II Mr.. Lawrence
could have snatched time to glance
at section Of the substitute he would
have seen that the licensing section
not only embraces elevators, but IN
express terms It includes packing
houses, cold-storage plants, Touring
mills, coal mine operators and deal
ers, as well as others. II ignorance is
bliss, Mr.. Lawrence ought to be an
extremely happy man. II he had
looked into the history OF this in
spired legislation he would have
found that the original bill as pre-
pared by the Department OF Agricul-
ture did not expressly include pack
ing houses. The bill as introduced in
the House, as reported to the House.
and as Il passed the House, did not
contain packing houses. Packing
houses were inserted in the bill by
the Senate Committee on Agriculture
upon my motion. Obviously, the ex-
press mentioning of packing houses
was not regarded as indispensable by
the authors Of the bill and the friends
OF the scheme. The enthusiasm of
the friends OF this scheme seems to
be in direct proportion of their igno-
rance of its real character. Mr.. Law
renee also seems to lie ignorant of
the fact that section 120, Of the ma
tional defense act, Of June 3 last year,
gave the Government power to COM
mandeer all manner Of organized
manufacturing industries. inserted
coal mines in the substitute because
feared that the national defense act
might be SO construed as not to in
clude coal mineL
Does Limit Power.
STT IT TRUE, as suggested By Mr..
Lawrence, that limit the licensing
power to persons and agencies en-.
gagged In interstate commerce. did
this because the license tax cases In
wallace clearly indicate that the
Supreme Court was Of the opinion
that the Federal Government could
not by any sort of license confer
authority to conduct q business on
any person carrying on q purely local
business, or q business limited to I'm.
traEtate transactions. This decision
of the Supreme Court was based on q
law passed In 1854, when the super.
Omnipotenee Of the war power wns
In full and IImitIeHs operation. This
view is REINFORCED by the declaration
of the Supreme Court In the Holiday
case when Il EaIdI at IL not, how
ever. intended by these remarks to
imply that this clause of the COnstItu.
tIOn authorizes Congress to regulate
any other commerce originated and
ended within the limits of n single
State, than commerce with the Indian
tribes"
Should Be ConEtItutiOnaL
~Tf this legislation is really import
ant, II It is to offer any real protec-
tion TO the country, it ought to be
made constitutional, so that It would
not collapse. perhaps during a vsca-
tion OF Congress, and leave the coun-
try without this much sought protec-
tion and relief. I have been engaged
in an earnest effort to render the bin
constitutional, practical, and effective,