The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-06
OVERMAN BILL !
HAS POOR CHANNi:<
-
Senate in Clash Over M q
Which Is Not Now
pected to Pass
Through.
OPPONENTS ARE MANY
Congress Spends Much Of Its Tlme
In Thinking Up Changes
and Amend
ments.
OPPONENTS ARE MANY
TBy L. C. Martin, United Press Stan
]

BY IL. =. Martin, OHlteu TAeoS oe''AA
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 6.-Contlct-
ing forces in the senate judiciary
committee clashed In their first test
of strength on the Overman en-
powering blu today.
Opponents Of the bill, which en-
powers the president to reorganlze
war agencies as he sees At, moved
to refer it back to a subcommittee
with instructions to reopen hearings:
If this motion carries, 1t VIII put
the majority of the committee on
record in favor Of amending the bill
to limit the powers conferred on the
nresident to certain specific acts OF
reorganization.
AS drawn now the bill puts practi-
caIly no Limitation on the shifts or
organizations the president might
make, If the bill is referred to a
subcommittee, Postmaster General
Burleson. who carried the measure
to the capitol and got Senator Over
man to Introduce it, will be. asked
to tell whether any specific reorganf-
cation program has been worked out
to speed up and make more effective
| the war machine.
Conferees on the railway bill re-
s11med their argument over the length
of government control after the war
They temporarily shelved the dispute
over the rate making power, when II
! was learned compromise Is belng
worked out, which, it is understood
the president and Director General
! McAdoo will agree to. Conferees 10
dav persisted in being optimistic Tor
| agreement within a short time.
! With many senators In open insur'
rection, the war finance corporation
| bill was again taken UP by the sen
ate. Angered by an attack on the
| finance committee late yesterday by
Senator Hollis of the banking and
| currency committee, hackers OF the
administration plan for bolstering up
business were determined to smash
down all opposition.
| A leading advocate of the substi
tute bill prepared by Senator owen
chairman of the banking committee
admitted today that the Owen bill
stands no chance.
The senate appropriations commit
tee today resumed discussion OF the
presidents request for authority to
buy the piers Of German steamship
lines at Hoboken.
Senator Martin, chairman Of tht
committee. said he believed he coult
convince the committee the legisla
tion is necessary. The committed
Yesterday refused to agree to the
request until informed why 1t l!
necessary to buy the piers, alread!
seized by this government.
The house today continued to worl
m the legislative appropriation bill
Senate Clashes With President.
WASHINGTON, March eth
senate today clashed with the pres1
dent on three war measures.
AS a result, the administration Will
have to accept important amend
ments in the war finance corporation
and Overman bills to get them pass
ed. The contest between the execu
tive department and senate develope
as follows
1-Opponents of Overman en-
nowering bill forced the judiciar
committee to agree making the pres
dents powers Of reorganizing wa
agencies specific instead of sweepin
and general.
2-The appropriations committe
again refuSeQ 10 grant duIholi|y IL
| purchase of German owned piers
, Hoboken and called A. M1tche
, Palmer, alien property custodian,
explain the reason why 1t is nece
sawy to buy the piers.
! "a large and powerful group
l senators including members
finance committee denounced til
. licensing provision Of the war finane
| corporation bill with Its penitentiar
: penalty for violations, as monstrou
The judiciary committee delaye
, action on the Overman bill after i
opponents had suggested referring
, hack to a subcommittee for furtht
3 hearing. They did not press this pla
f today but offered two substitutes ft
[ the administration bill. One Of thes
by Senator Smith, Georgia, wou
. limit the presidents power to
: organize the war and navy depar
e ments. The other by Senator Ste