New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-22
Hoover Supports
Whitman's Fight
For Food Control
Says State Legislation Is
Needed to Back Up U.
S. Programme

ALBANY. Aug. Ex-Governor Whit
man is leaving no stone unturned TO
force recalcitrant rural legislators in
line for his proposed food control
legislation, which he hopes to have en-
acted at the present extra session.
As a last resort call for aid was
sent to the Federal government at
Washington, and to-day the Governor
gave out a telegram and letter from
Herbert c. Hoover, the Federal Food
Administrator, indorsing the Cover
nor's programme and stating that
"from every point of view the adequate
war regulation and permanent improve
ment of marketing conditions in New
York need efficient state legislation
In his telegram Mr.. Hoover said:
with regard to the pending legisIa-
ton in New York. think it is desira-
bic to bear in mind that the Federal
Administration can only undertake the
control Of a few great staples OF non
perishable character with view &c
stabilizing interstate traffic, so That
in order to secure the maximum bene-
fits from these arrangements and to
serve in the same manner local ques-
tons in other commodities it is neces-
sarv for states and municipalities to
have organization extending the FED
oral Administration. Furthermore,
Federal legislation absolutely excludes
anv control of retail distribution and
makes no provision for lettering local
market conditions beyond some re-
striction upon detrimental wholesale
practices. From every point of view
the adequate war regulation and per-
manent improvement of marketing con-
ditions in New York need efficient
state legislation
Speaker Sweet Confident
Sneaker Sweet, who was the only
legislative leader at the Capitol to-day,
said:
az believe that we will have enough
votes to pass the. bill, and TO pass 1t
this week. While there is some opposl-
ton on the part of the farmers, II is
by small lotteries and not massed or
general. | have no doubt that much
Of this opposition has been overcome
during the past few days in which the
Assemblymen from upstate have had
an opportunity to explain the measure
to their constituents"
Several of the friends of the Gov
ernor were Of the opinion that this in
dorsement from the Wilson admins
tration might bring some of the Demo
cratic members to the support OF the
war committee bill which the Governor
is now backing. The Democrats, how
ever, as far as could be learned here
tonight, still persist in their support
of the original Whitman bill and their
belief that the war committee bill is
compromise with too many concessions
in it TO the food distributors.
Rural Attitude Unchanged
The few rural legislators who re-
turned here tonight TO be on hand
for the recovering of the extra SEES
sion tomorrow afternoon at o'clock
said that they could find little change
in the opposition of their constitu-
ents to the proposed food legislation
and the appointment of George W:
Perkins as head of the food control
commission.
The most optimistic of the Whit
man hackers do not expect any definite
action on the food bill before Thurs
day, and some of them are looking to
an extension Of the session until next
week. before enough Republican legis-
lators can be got to Albany to pass
the bill the Governor wants. Gov
ernor Whitman and his advisers are
all confident that the bill will cventu
ally be passed, but they realize that
they still have a fight on their hands.