Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-25
HOUSE ACCEPTS
FOOD MEASURE
BY Big MAJORITY
Strong Prohibition Amendment
Written Into Administration
Measure Passed by Vote
OF 1865 to 5.

Washington, June 24.-The admin
stration food control bill, giving the
president broad authority to control
the distribution of food, feed and fuel
for war purposes and appropriating
$l52, 100000 for its enforcement and
administration, was passed by the
house last night after far reaching
prohibition provisions had been writ
ten into it.
The vote was 365 to S, Representa-
tives McLemore, Slayden and Young
of Texas, democrats, and Meeker,
Missouri, and Ward, New York. re-
publicans, voting in the negative.
The prohibition provisions adopted
would prohibit the use of foodstuffs
for the manufacture OF alcoholic
beverages and would give the presi-
dent authority to take over for war
purposes all liquor now on hand.
They were put into the measure dur
ing the evening in committee of the
whole and when the bill came up in
the house proper, the anti-prohibition
faction did not demand that they be
voted on again. -t l, --ys
Bill Goes to Senate.
The bill now goes to the senate
where it probably will be substituted
early next week for similar measure
already under consideration. Lead.
ers hope to get the measure to confer
ence by July |.
Few important changes were made
by the house outside the prohibition
section. The control powers of the
president were limited to articles
specifically mentioned in the bill in
stead of giving him blanket authority;
voluntary aids in control work were
made subject to the penal provision;
all persons in the food administration
except those serving without COM
pensation were placed under civil
service; and the president was re-
quired to make an annual report on
the operation Of the bill.
There was hot debate over the
prohibition features. Vets and drys
accused each other of unfairness and
Representative Meeker of Missouri, a
republican, and Representative Kelly
of Pennsylvania, democrat, got into
such a row that their friends SUR
rounded them to prevent a physical
encounter and then had the words
they exchanged stricken from the
record.
Reject Heating Change.
When the house returned to con-
sideration of other sections of the bill,
an amendment by Representative
Keating of Colorado, providing that
nothing in the bill shall be construed
as repeating or affecting the labor ex-
emption provisions of the Sherman
antitrust law quickly was rejected, 45
to 162. Mr.. Keating read a letter by
Herbert {. Hoover to Chairman
Lever, endorsing the amendment, but
Mr.. Lever insisted that a combination
of men in time of national distress
might attempt to limit the manu-
facture of food necessaries il such an
exemption were made.
An amendment was adopted provid.
ing that all persons employed in the
administration OF the food law except
those serving without compensation,
shall be appointed under the civil
service law.
In the senate virtually no progress
was made on the bill during the day.
The leaders were unable to hold a
quorum and consented to an adjourn
ment after a short session devoted
mostly to routine. Conferences con-
tlnued looking to a compromise on
most of the contested issues, but it is
unlikely that final vote can be reached
before late next week