Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-06-27
Food Control Measure Vir- tually Rewritten By
 Agriculture Committee.
OPPOSITION IS
 FAST FADING AWAY
Advocates and Opponents of Original Draft Now Unite fin Predicting Final Passage of Important Legisla-
 ton By End of Week.

Washington, June 2G. The food control bill, passed by the house, was rewritten today by the senate agricul- ture subcommittee to give President Wilson the power and responsibility of deciding whether the nation shall be "bone dry" during the war and to place iron and steel and other products, in addition to food and fuel, under gov- ernment control.
 These and other changes are so sat- isfactory to many senators who have
 been opposing the original draft of the Legislation, that both advocates and opponents tonight predicted passage in the senate by Saturday. As a substitute for the house pro- hibition section, which without quali- fication forbids the manufacture of foodstuffs into liquor, the sub-com-
 mittee adopted provision to forbid the manufacture during the war of all
 intoxicating beverages and empow-
 CTS the president to commander sup plies of distilled spirits, but would authorize the executive in his discre- tion to. permit the manufacture of
 matted, fermented and vinOus bever- ages and fix their alcoholic contents. As rewritten, the committees draft will be considered tomorrow by the agriculture committee and prob-
 ably will be reported at once for sem ate discussion, without material
 change.
 Senators Gore, Smith of Georgia and others prominent in the bitter | fight against the legislation have an- nounced their support of the re-draft- ed measure. Other signs of waning opposition and prompt senate action
 came in today's debate on the senate floor. Opposition senator's leading the
 recent discussion yielded to Senators
 Knox and Nelson, Republicans, and
 Thomas, Democrat, for speeches strongly supporting the control legis- lation. Further debate promises to center on the prohibition provisions, with leaders predicting a close final l vote.
 Other changes include: Extension of government control, in addition to food, feed and fuel, to iron and steel and their products; petro- leum and it's products; farm imple- ments; fertilizers; hemp, sisal and jute.
 Limiting the government comman- uCCII HE VI uIAACos A0~VVAAV0 SAU pAssAs~~ to production necessary for military purposes Or "public uses of the com- mon defense;"
 Limiting thepower of the govern
 ment to commander food, feed and fuel to supplies for the army, navy or
 other military purposes or public uses of the common defense" but au- thorizing their purchase for sale >to civilians by the govenement at req sonable prices;
 Extending the governments power to maintain minimum guaranteed prices to producers;
 Modification of the blanket power proposed by an amendment insuring the government control shall not ex- tend to individual ration;ng or other regulation of individual of industrial consumption;
 Addition of new provision exempt ing products of farmers, stock raisers,
 gardners and cooperative agricul-
 tural associations from control of leg islation so far as it affects their pro-
 duction and storage of foodstuffs pro- duced by them;
 Addition of a new section providing that persons serving the government voluntarily shall not. while so ne- gagged, sell to the government, any of
 their own products.