Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-07-25
PARTY BATTLE ON
FOOD BILL COMING
Republicans Lining Up Behind
Mann to Prevent Measure
Going to Conference.
ADMINISTRATION Determined
81 Wheat and Liquor Amend
ments May Call for Sep
arate Votes.

WASHINGTON. July 24.-The ad-
ministrations food control legisla-
ton encountered another delay to-
day when Republican Leader Mann
blocked plans to hurry the food con-
trol bill to conference.
The proposal to create a Joint COM
mlttee OF congress on expenditures of
the war written into the bill In the
senate and objected to by President
wilson as signifying a lack of conf
dence In him started the trouble.
The Republican leader rallied many
OF his party about him and tonight
the situation had taken on the aspect
of a partisan fight virtually for the
first time since the war session met.
Hope to Force Conference.
Administration leaders, despairing
OF sending the bill to conference un-
der an unanimous consent agreement.
are prepared to bring in IA special
rule tomorrow under which they ex-
pect to force conference and in
addition to instruct the conferees to
disagree to all senate amendments.
Taking the administration managers
by surprise. Mr.. Mann served notice
when the bill came up today that he
would not give unanimous consent for
the bill to go to conference unless
separate vote was permitted on the
war committee proposal. A hasty
canvass of those present convinced
the administration men that they
could not be certain of majority for
the amendment and adjournment was
taken.
Partisan Division Probable.
Unanimous consent again will be
asked tomorrow before the special
rule is invoked, but the Republican
leaders have summoned the entire
membership here for vote and a
partisan division seems certain In
preparation for IL the Democrats
tightened up their lines tonight to in
sure the presence of Democratic
majority. 1t was thot possible that
few Democrats would vote with the
Republicans.
Adoption of the rule will virtually
include separate votes also on the TWO
dollar minimum for wheat and pro-
hibition amendments, strongly de-
sired by several house Democrats
Throut debate today Chairman
Lever. in charge of the bill, promise d
that the house Democratic cCnferees
would do their utmost to force ac-
ccptance of the original provisions of
the house bill. In that form there
was no provision for either a war ex-
penditures committee, a food board of
three members or So wheat and the
prohibition sections contem plated a
bone-dry country.
lnsistence by Mr.. Lever that the
house do nothing to delay final pas
sage of the bill went far toward In
ducing one dry advocate and others
TO agree to sending the measure to
conference with only general disagree
ment instructions.
Il particularly urge that you not
tie the hands of the house conferees, -
he said. 1.-The house thus far has not
been guilty of delay in the passage of
this bill and the delay on 1t now
amounts to a national scandal"
Opposition Unexpected Blow.
The Democratic leaders had under
stood that Mr.. Mann was willing to
see the bill go 10 conference with in
structions that the conferees disagree
to all senate amendments to proceed
ed on the assumption that Mr.. Lever
had succeeded in silencing the de-
mands of those who favor the two
dollar wheat amendment and all pro-
posals. The war expenditures COM
mittee amendment not having been
mentioned in almost an hours debate
the measure appeared to have clear
sailing when Mr.. Mann announced he
would object.
An uproar followed. Part OF the
members began shouting for all ad-