Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-21
MR.. GORE ATTACKS
FOOD CONTROL BILL
Oklahoma Senator Says Would
Cost Corn Producers Half
Billion First Year; An
swer by Kenyon.

SWeT ny hehyoh'
Washington, June 20.-ln a vigor'
Gus attack upon the administration
food control bill in the senate today
Senate Gore, democrat, chairman oi
the agriculture committee, declared il
strikes at the farmer, will cause losses
to producers this year Of $25000O, ,00C
in wheat and $500,000,000 in corn and
result in famine next year through re-
duced production.
Senator Gore declared the bill
Short sighted policy" and it would
result in driving down farmers prices
Bill Should be Amended.
at was drawn by some attorney
down at the Department of Agricul.
ture,' he shouted, but one would
think it is in the handwriting OF the
diety and that it would be sacrilege TO
change it
Senator Gore declared the bill was
the "swcepings" OF all the British and
Canadian food acts of Parliament and
orders in council.
They are all strung together in
this bill like a lot OF beads" he de-
clared. "If congress loses its self-re-
spcct in passing this bill unamended,
everybody else will lose their respect
for congress.
81 will not say that the intention
of this whole movement is to force
down the price OF products in the
hands OF the farmers, but that is the
inevitable result" he declared.
Kenyon Roasts Spectators.
Senator Kenyon, republican, then
spoke in defense of the bill, attack
ing food spectators as highwaymen.
"One, however, should apologize
for using the term 'highwayman' in
connection with them" he said The
highwayman or the sea pirate is a
Christian gentleman compared to
them. 1t takes some courage TO be
a highwayman, but no courage to be
a food speculator. These gentlemen
at the present time are the allies OF
the kaiser. They are weakening the
American nation in its contest. The
men who fight must be fed. The
mothers of the nation must be fed.
The babies of the nation likewise. The
men who work to make the things
to fight with must be fed.
Babies and Food.
1--WE have heard something about
this bill giving the right to the food
controller to tell mothers how much
food they shall give their babies.
1t does not do so. But there is one
question Just as important as the
question of the amount of food a
mother shall give a baby and that
is whether the baby shall have any
food at all or whether the food that
should go to feed the babies of the
poor shall feed the poodle dogs Of
the rich.
1--WE are contending that babies OF
the poor shall have food; that there
shall be no extraordinary profits dur
ing this war, either in foodstuffs or
steel or anything else. Foullon may
sneeringly say the people may eat
grass or Marie Antoinette Let them
eat cake, they do not propose to
eat grass and they have no chance TO
eat cake. The government must to
some extent take the place of middle
men in this situation,
Food Prices are Too High.
"When we are paying more for
food in this country than they are in
London there is something wrong,
No fine spun theory can convince
otherwise, Il would as soon have a
dictatorship of food controller as
the dictatorship OF the food gamb-
lers."
Senator Kenyon contended the bill
does not injure farmers whom he de-
clared "would rather have food sup
plies OF the nation controlled by the
nation than by the food gamester."
Senators Borah and Reed sug-
gested that the bill is unconstitu-
tional, but Senator Kenyon insisted
that its provisions are amply justi-
fled under the constitutional war
making powers.
I am deeply apprehensive regard
ing the effect upon public tranquility
unless something is done" said Sen
ator Kenyon. 1--WE must realize the
grave situation OF the nation, which
justifies this legislation. The peo-
pie, farmers, laboring men and every
body have got to make sacrifices
and are willing to. The small salar-
led man certainly is doing so now
Nobody in congress wants to injure
the farmers, who have been some
what stirred up against the bill. al
though it is generally in their inter
est"