Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-02
SENATE PASSES
|. THE 0VERMAN BILL
ALI Amendments Designed to
Limit Presidents Authority
Are Rejected
VOTE IS 60 TO 13
House VIII Probably Approve the Bill
-Ear1y Action Expected

Washington, April 29-Rejecting all
amendments designed to limit the Presi-
dents authority the Senate late to-day
passed the Overman bill with its general
grant of power for the executive to CO.
ordinate and reorganize government de-
partments and other agencies during the
war.
Inc vote on the measure, which now
goes to the House, was 63 to 13, many SEN
! ators who opposed the administration in
the long fight over proposed amendments
joining the majority when the test came
on final passage.
only one democrat, Senator Reed of
Missouri, voted against the bill. Senator
Dillingham; of Vermont voted against the
measure and Senator Page voted for 1t.
! Nearly all O. the % republicans voting
to pass the bill had before the final
roll call supported amendments to cir
cumscribe the Presidents power gen.
orally to war functions. Those who con-
tinued their opposition to the finish have
based their attitude on the argument
that the bill confers unnecessary auto
cratic powers upon the President and is
unconstitutional.
Administration leaders championed the
measure consistently and would not agree
to any amendments limiting the Presi-
dents authority. During the long fight
some democrats thought concessions
would have to be made They found, how
ever. that the President insisted upon
passage of the bill without substantial
change from the form in which he sent it
to Senator Overman, Of North Carolina,
last February after the Senate military
committee virtually had decided to rec
ommend legislation for a war cabinet and
munitions director as the result of its war
inquiry.
The only amendments added in the Sem
ate were acceptd by Overman. in charge
Of the bill. One by Senator Wadsworth
of New York, republican, would authorize
the President to centralize authority over
the aviation program in one executive
officer. and another by Senator Jones. re-
publican. of Washington, limits the effect
Of reorganizations made under the bill to
six months instead of one year after the
war.
AS passed by the Senate. the measure
authorizes the President to make such
redistribution Of functions among execu-
tives agencies as he may deem necessary
and to utilize. coordinate and con-
solidate any executive or administrative
commissions. bureaus, agencies. offices,
or officers now existing by law. to trans
fer any duties or powers from one existing
department or to transfer the personnel
thereof" These powers. however. shall
be exercised only In matters relating to
the conduct Of the present war The
measure also provides that IL the Presi-
dent believes any agency should be
abolished, he shall report to Congress and
Congress will arrange for transfer Of APP
preparations in any reorganization. limit
ing their expenditure to the purposes
specified by Congress.
orl1 Sdoro aF hA in
House is planned by administration lead
ers. Although the demand for limitation
of the Presidents authority is expected
to be renewed in the lower body of Con-
gress, ultimate enactment of the measure
substantially as it passed the Senate Is
expected.
In the final onslaught against the legis-
lation in the Senate to-day all amend
ments opposed by the administration
leaders were rejected by safe majorities.
An amendment by Senator Harding, re-
publican, Of Ohio. proposing to limit the
bills authority to war functions, was
rejected, AZ to 30. Senator Cummins,
republican. Of Iowa made a final effort
to except the Interstate Commerce Com
missions rate making and railroad ply
steal valuation authority from executive
action, but his amendment was voted
down. 43 to 81. An amendment by Sena-
tor Sterling, republican, of South Dakota
proposing to limit the bill to executive"
departments and functions also was re-
jected, 46 to "a.
Senator Smith of Georgia did not press
his substitute bill proposing to limit the
legislation to executive and essentially
war agencies.
An amendment by Senator Brandegee
OF Connecticut republican. providing
that III any power. constitutional or not.
has been inadvertently omitted from this
bill, 1t Is hereby granted in full" was
rejected by a viva voce vote.