The sun., 1917-06-26
SENATORS WANT
|FULLDRY POWER
GIVEN TO WILSON
Members of Finance COm-
mittee Favor Putting
Onus Oh President.
REVISION Is LIKELY
Gore, Ardent PWhibitiOnist,
Is Hopeful "Sane" Meas
ure Will Pass.
AMENDMENT IS OFFERED
Lewis Calls Lever Bill Too
Complicated and Presents
Substitute.
REVISION Is LIKELY
AMENDMENT IS OFFERED

WASHINGTON, June 25-The Senate
Committee on Agriculture will begin the
work of redrafting the Lever food con-
troll Dill through a special subcommittee
or nine members which will meet to.
morrow morning. The subcommittee
VIII consist Of both friends and enemies
or the bill. II is composed Of Senators
Gore. Oklahoma Chamberlain. Oregon;
smith. South Carolina Smith, Georgia.
and Ransdell. Louisiana, Democrats;
Kenyon. Iowa; Gronna. North Dakota;
Warren. Wyoming. and wadsworth,
New York. Republicans.
More than a majority OF the nine are
opposed to the bill either in the form It
left the House or in the r6rm of the
original Lever draft. All are cmbar-
rassed by the recent action of the House
in voting into the measure amendments
governing the use OF food products In
the manufacture OF alcoholic beverages
so drastic In their terms as virtually to
assure complete national prohibition for
the period of the war.
this group are Senators Gore and Cham
berlain. The former is chairman of
the Committee on Agriculture and the
latter the Presidents spokesman for the
measure on the floor. Both are COM
mitted by reason of the esta blished pro-
hibition policies OF their States to pro-
hibftion legislation wherever opportunity
Is presented. Both are coguizant Of the
effect which enforced prohibition by
part Of the nation will have upon the
States remaining wet. They fully appre-
ciate that the war revenue bill will have
to be recommitted to the Committee on
Finance for radical revision in the
event the manufacture of all forms of
alcoholic beverages is inhibited by the
food control bill. Neither enjoys the
prospect of facing an aggregation Of the
business men and producers when II
shall become necessary through this
proposed prohibition enactment to dis
tribute in new revenue producing items
$525, 100000 Of annual taxation.
wanted President to Act.
The prohibition movement has far
more friends than opponents in the Sen
ate. The Senate was sailing along
smoothly hoping to pass food control
bill which would place the authority for
the placing OF restrictions upon liquor
and beer manufacturers up to the Presi-
dent. II hoped to place upon his
shoulders the burden OF decreeing by
executive proclamation the necessity for
going back to the nation with the de-
mand for half billion and more or
revenue.
Then the House stepped to the front
with Its action of last Saturday. The
squal! was at its height to-day. There
were more than "A score of conferences.
Senators gathered in little groups to dis
cuss the question in whispers. with ner-
vousness displayed on every counte-
nance.
The discussion resulted In the admis-
sion that the Senate was placed in
most embarrassing position. one of the
members of the Finance Committee de-
scribed II as IAN awful mess Many
of the Senators who represent prohi-
bition States are admitting that they
will feel too much pressure from home
to vote scientifically on the food bill.
Despite the fact that the present plans
of the Finance Committee will have to
| be revised, with incidental waitngs from
| the business centres. where the half bill
| ion of additional taxes will have to be
| levied. they insist that they will vote
for the most drastic prohibition legis-
| lation which the Committee on Agri-
culture puts before them.
State which recently went dry said:
| "It cannot be for us a question OF the
| common sense of the situation or any
thing OF that sort We are obligated
and expected TO vote for prohibition leg
| islation whenever and wherever pre-
sented. That we will have to do. and
| the majority party can take the con-
! sequences II the necessltous creation
of yet more burdensome taxes reacts
| upon II politically"
Gore Is StiII Hopeful.
| Senator Gore was hopeful to-day that
| the saner sentiment Of the Senate would
| rally to the support OF the measure In
the form now pending In the Senate.
! The power to restrict or forbid the uss
| Of food products In the manufacture OF
| drinkables would then be left to tho
President, Senator Gore feels that this
| Is the wiser and safer course Similar
I views were expressed by senator Sim
| mons. chairman OF the Committee on
| Finance, upon whom would fall the onus
| OF having to rodraft this almost COM
pleted revenue bin IL the House action
| is approved and passed by the Senate
The radical prohibition advocates OF
| the Senate We're tubilant to-day. Sena-
tors Kenyon. Sheppard. Gronna. Narda-
man. Jones OF Washington and several
others expressed tho opinion that the
| cause OF complete national prohib!t!of,
! practically had been won by tho Houses
! action and predicted that the Senate
would adopt the House paragraphs
dealing with prohibition exactly as
! they had been passed by the House
Regarding tho food control sections Of
! the bill on which the subcommittee will
bend its attention In the morning. Sem
ator Chamberlain said that the dsposi-
/ ton OF the Senate apparently was to
/ broaden the scope of the measure by in
cludlng within tho authority OF the Fed
eral agencies Of control many things in
addition to food, lie said that without
a doubt steel and iron, copper, lead
! zine. aluminium. platinum, Goa, and other