The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-08-10
SENATE PASSES
FOOD CONTROL
BILL 66 To I
Measure Gives Power to the
President.
WILSON TO SIGN FRIDAY
Bill Prohibits Use Of Grain for Max.
ing LIquors-WhIsl<y Can Be
Seized When Needed for Pub
lie Defense Purposes

SSsVbOS ~ fS
Washington, Aug. 9-The great food
control bin, most sweeping measure
ever legislated into the laws of this
country. was finally approved by the
senate by a vote Of 66 to Z. The meas
ure, having been adopted in Its COM
pleted stage by the house, now goes to
President Wilson for his signature.
Herbert Hoover has completed the
last detail Of work preparatory to put
ting the Law into effect. Scores Of
agents are scattered throughout the
country ready to cooperate with the
food control department at Washing
ton.
The president will probably sign the
bill Friday. The house has recessed
until that day. and Speaker Clark can
not afflx his signature until the house
reconveneS.
Senators opposing the measure were
Gronna, France, La Toilette and Pen
rose, Republicans, and Reed. Hardwick
and Hollis. Democrats.
In addition to the seven senator's
voting against the bill, Senator Gore.
chairman Of the senate agriculture
committee, and Senator Sherman,
Republicans, were paired and did not
vote. Both announced that, had they
been at liberty to vote, they would
have been registered in the negative.
Most IN Favor.
OF the absent and paired senators
announcement was made in behalf of
nearly all that they favored the final
draft.
The senate's action virtually con-
cludes the work Of congress upon the
administration food legislative pro-
gram, initiated last May.
Prohibition Provisions
The prohibition provisions, compro-
mise for ~bone-dry" prohibition pro-
posed by the house, prohibit manufac-
ture and importation Of distilled
liquors for beverages during the war,
authorize the president to suspend
manufacture Of malt. fermented and
vinous liquors or to limit their alco-
hOlic content and authorizes and di.
reefs" the president 10 his discretion,
to commander distilled beverages In
bond or stock when necessary for re-
distillation into alcohol for military or
other public defense purposes or to
conserve foOdstuffs.
The bill establishes, during the war.
broad government control over foods,
feeds, fuel. fuel oils. natural gas. fer.
tilizer and its ingredients, tools, uten-
sils and equipment required for the
actual production of all sEh products,
designated 'necessaries."
In establishing government control,
the bill authorizes the president to en-
ter into any voluntary arrangements.
create or use any agency or agencies,
to accept service Of any person with
out compensation, to cooperate with
any agency or person, to utilize any de-
partment or agency Of the govern
ment. and to coordinate their activi-
ties.
Comprehensive powers are given in
the bill, passed as a war measure, to
assure adequate supply and equitable
distribution of the named necessaries,
to facilitate their movement; to pre-
vent. locally and generally. scarcity,
monopoly boarding, injurious specu-
lation. manipulation OF private control
affecting supply distribution and
movement
Fixes Wheat Minimum.
Other provisions Of the bill fix q
minimum price for wheat beginning
next year at not less than 81 per STAN
dard busheI; provide for coal and coke
price fixing. communicating and gov
eminent operation Of factories and
mines producing necessaries; for gov
eminent purchase, sale and reQuisition
Of various necessaries, and for federal
licensing of agencies producing and
handling them
The bill appropriates fund Of
$15O,OOO,OO0 to be used IN Its admins
tration and s10,0OO,O 900 for federal pur-
chase and sale at cost Of fertilizer.
Immediately afterward the senate
adopted, without debate, the confer
ence report on the food survey bill,
providing for q nationwide survey Of
food supplies and appropriating $12,-
100000 to carry on this work and to