Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-27
CUT OF 100000
IN THE FOOD BILL
Measure Expected to Pass
House Tomorrow Carrying
Total of S14,77O,500.
HOOVER ON LIQUOR ISSUE

Reduction by more than 100000 in
appropriations carried by the admin
istration food survey and stimulation
bills was agreed to by the House yes
terday, and consideration virtually
was completed in committee of the
whole. Final passage of the measure.
carrying a total of s14.770.500 is ex-
pected tomorrow. The Senate debated
similar bill throughout the dag with
out making material progress. and the
time of passage there still is in doubt.
All reductions in the House measure
were suggested by the agriculture
committee Two remain to be formal
~ adopted. but there probably will be
no objection to them. Those accepted
yesterday were:
: Reductions Agreed Upon.
For combating diseases of live stock
and enlarging production. reduced from
S2010000 to $685., 900: for seed distribu-
fion and eradication of insects and
plant diseases. from s6.500,000 to s6.-
$4,000. and for increasing food pro-
duction and eliminating waste. from
s4.500.000 to s4,34S.30O. Tomorrow the
committee will recommend that the
food survey appropriation be reduced
from S3.500.000 to s2.522.0O0 and the
miscellaneous section from S2,OOO,000 to
sT96.200.
Persons employed in carrying out
the work provided for in the bill would
be. liable to military service under an
amendment offered by Representative
Mckenzie of Illinois, and adopted. The
proposal followed repeated charges by
republicans that unless it were speci-
Ned that such work could not be re-
garded as a cause for exemption the
bill would furnish 1900 new positions
in which democrats could make them
selves secure from the draft.
Cannon Motion Ruled Out.
Mr.. Mckenzie. said he hoped the
amendment would serve as a notice to
the country that Congress does not
ployes from military service. Repre-
sentative Cannon of Illinois proposed
broadening the amendment Immediate
ly. so as to include all in the public
of order.
Little progress was made in the Sem
ate. although virtually the entire day
was devoted to debate on the measure.
The Senate's delay in taking action
was criticised by Senator Hollis. who
told his colleagues that food legislation
is urgently needed. He presented sta
of living. and said that within one mile
of the Capitol children are compelled to
search Y carriage cans for food,
owing e, ,ph5ectsons- hys.alAnxs ieeAae.
ried in the bill. as introduced In tie
: Senate, to fight cholera and other dis
eases among live stock, Chairman Gore
OF the agriculture committee agreed
during the debate to q reduction to $4,-
100000. Even this total is far above the
House figure.
Use Of Grain for Liquor.
Herbert C. Hoover, chosen by Presi-
dent Wilson to become food administra-
tor when the pending legislation is per-
fected, has defined, his attitude on the
prohibition of use of foodstuffs In
brewing and distilIing. Mr.. Hoover said
IL always must be borne in mind that
the proposed food administration is
purely a war measure designed and in
tended for no purpose except the mobil-
ization of the country's food resources
TO the most efficient contribution to sue
cess in war. and that the food admins
tration would hold its eyes straight on
its true objective and take no interest
in ethical questions involved In tenn
perance or non-temperance, or any
other question.
Would Get the Facts.
IF the problem of giving adminis-
trative action to the provisions in the
Lever bill on brewing and distillins.
came up to me-" said Mr.. Hoover, L
should first want to determine ac-
curate1y and beyond all question the
facts as to how much saving. can be
made in the consumption of cereals and
the importance Of this saving
I'm order to determine these facts, II
the legislation passes, and If had to
Gea1 with the matter, should recon-
mend to the President the appointment
of committee of national scope and
entirely independent view to determine
exactly how much saving could be ef-
fected by such action. Such commit
tee would naturally take evidence un-
der proper conditions and with fairness
to all sides. After the finding of this
committee 1t would be necessary for
obtained as against other questions.
such as the dislocation of revenue and
industry What is wanted in all these
matters is real facts. and it is impos-
sible to collect such fundamental data
until after legislation has been COM
pleted."