Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-07-24
Too Many Cooks.

Unless Objectionable clauses are
eliminated in conference there is like
lihood that tme food control bill as it
has passed tIns senate and been. re-
turned TO the house viii be vetoed by
tie president. .He cites two clauses
which he feels would prove q grievous
handicap 10 fulfilling the Tishes OF
the Administrations i'm dealing with
some Of the chief problems that have
risen incident to the nations entrance
into the world war. The features
against which the president HAS reg
istered his objection. and the wisdom
of his position is unquestioned and
doubtless would be sustained by al
most unanimous approval Of the peo-
pla Of the country If they were given
the privilege Of expressing themselves.
are those providing for d food control
board of three members and d con-
gressionaI committee TO supervise gov
ernment war expenditures.
The president frankly has informed
congress that he has grown weary Of
boards. They have tended to retard
rather than expedite the pressing bus
mess of the government. There Is
eloquent proof OF this in the silly
squabbie that has been going on with
in the ship building board, the mem
bers Of which have divided into fac
tions, headed hy Colonel Cocktails and
Mr.. Denman, with a deadlock IS the
consequence-bjg men resOrting 30
school boy tactics iu handling one Of
the essential departments Of the gov
Ban
main consideration. II Cocktails had
been given unrestricted authority in
his program the public would not have
been regaled or the enemy comforted
by spectacle that has been anything
but conducive 20 efficient progression
the enormous task facing the nation.
Goethals has won the confidence of
the country i'm his performance at Pan
anna. The people have faith in him.
Therefore he should have been permit
ted unhampered to have carried for
ward his plan. It looks very much as
If competition between lumber and
steel had not q little so do with the
Cocktails and Denmau split.
The president sees in dividing AL
thority in controlling The SOD situa-
ton possibility Of repetition of the
ship building board hascO. Mr. HoOy-
er has convinced the public and the
president that he Is capable of direct
ing the job thar it has been gcoguiEed
from the first he would be called upon
10 fill because Of his great success in
the post Of food administrator Of Bel
GUM Mr. Hoover already has con
tributed valuable service To his gov
eminent IN his COuuselinS on conser-
walton measures. his advice having
been sent broadcast over the land and
having reached nearly every home and
factory and Office His words carry
the ring of know edge. He speak
like man who knows his premises
lie is not a theorist He has studied
and solved to his own satisfaction
the questions that are before him now
at Washington
The public believes in Hoover. The
president Is aware of that fact H0ov-
er looks big enough for tie JOB To
be SURF he viii have assistants-an
army of them. But the hiteh will
Gene. as il has come in the ship build
ing board. if Hoover has men on either
side OF him. men not trained as he has
been in the work he IS SO peculiarly
fitted for, increasing his difficulties
rather than expediting the details OF
the great enterprise he is charged with
carrying forward Giving over to
three heads what ne is capable OF do
ing himself IS going to embarrass
Hoover. Il il embarrasses him Ii will