The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-07-23
SENATE FINALLY ACTS.

After hve weeks OF debate, at
many stages of which it seemed that
complete defeat was certain, the
senate Saturday passed the food
control bill. and it now goes to con-
ference, with the prospect Of ap-
proval in the course Of a week or
ten days, and the ultimate passage.
It will be one Of the most import
ant and far reaching pieces of legis-
lation ever placed on the statute
books in this country. Any attempt
to analyze it at this time. before its
terms are known in detail. and be-
fore copies of the bill are available,
would be futile, but several points Of
difference between it and the house
bill, stand out.
The big conference fight undoubt-
eddy will be on the prohibition
clause. The house included a "'bone
dry" provision in its bill. prohibiting
the manufacture or sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors. The senate bill prohibits
the manufacture OF distilled liquors
during the war, but says nothing
about beer and light wines. 1t also
directs the President to buy all
stocks Of distilled liquor left in
bond.
A most difficult problem faced the
senate in the handling OF the dis
titled liquor question. The distilling
of liquor is based on sales from
three to Ave yearsshence, and stocks
sufficient to supply the demand
would be left on hand. IL the dis
tilling were stopped now. To pre-
vent the sale of this or confiscate it,
would make thousands, of lawbreak-
ers, or bankrupt thousands of men.
For the government to buy it aud
destroy it would cost an immense
sum, hundreds of millions of dollars.
For Uncle Sam to turn bartender, is
unthinkable. He could have reduced
the stocks to commercial alcohol,
but at a heavy loss.
1t is too big q problem to be set
tied offhand, and the food control
bill must be passed offhand. That
is why it is unfortunate that prohibit
ton was introduced into the bill It
should have been made a separate
measure, and the food control bill
would have been law by now.
BY the senate bill all commodities
but foods, feeds and fuels are
eliminated, thus restricting it to the
commodities mentioned in the
original administration measure.
Many others had been tackled on by
amendments, and there seemed no
limit to the number. Foods, feeds
and fuels are the vital ones, and it
seems wise to confine the bill to
these for the present. In such a
revolutionary measure it would be
easy to dissipate energies.
The administration of the measure
Is left to a commission Of three
members, instead of one man. The
country has set its mind on Hoover
as food controller, and is determined
to have him. II the appointing of
Mr.. Hoover's two associates is left
to somebody like the President, there
will not be much difference between
having just Mr.. Hoover and Mr..
Hoover and two associates. Two
friendly and sympathetic workers
will be Tn aid and not q handi-
cap.
The provisions covering the coal
production seem to have the proper
teeth to them. The government is
empowered to take over and operate
coal mines, If necessary. TIL federal
trade commission is given the right
to fix coal prices, and il they are not
observed, then the government can
take the Anal step.
The minimum price Of So at the
primary markets, is placed on wheat
This lie a minimum guaranteed price,
and with good crops would yield a
fair profit. With the thin crops in
many sections this year, such a price
would not be very remunerative,
but 1t is q minimum guaranteed
price, and not q hxed price. The
commission undoubtedly would not
feel called upon to interfere IL the
price ruled above that figure this
year. There is not much likelihood
CT it keeLing down the minimum this
year, IL the law Of supply and
demand is allowed to make itself
feit
0MeE0nnA