The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-09
ADMINISTRATION WINS AND LOSES VANTAGE POINTS
 IN WIRE CONTROL Telegraph Resolution Buf- feted Back and Forth Be- tween Senate Floor
 and Committee
MEASURE IS REPORTED IFAVORABLY, BUT SENT
 BACKONTECHNICALITY
Underwood Among Those Who Votes to Decide Ques- ton at Once With out Amendment

Washington, July S.-f.- forts of the administration to secure immediate disposal oy the Senate of the House reso- lution authorizing tue Prcsi- dent to take over telegraph, telephone, cable and radio svs- tems during the war stirred up a bitter fight today in the up- Iper house in which tlle admIn- istration won and then lost a parliamentary advantage.
 The resolution was buffeted back and forth between the Senate inter- state commerce committee and the Senate floor in stormy controversy over the question of holding hearings or hastening Senate debate and vote. No decision was reached nor progress made and both factions pre- pared for renewal of the struggle to- morrow.
 1 Reconvening after defeat in the House last Saturday of their summer vacation programme. senators today almost irn- mediatey took up the wire control reso- lution, with leaders planning to expedite the Senate's action as requested by Presi- dent Wilson.
 l At a special meeting the interstate com merce commission with little discussion and by vote of four to three decided ! to dispense with hearings on the resoIu- tion. and ordered it reported to the Sen ate without amendment or recommenda- | tion.
 RESOLUTION REPORTED l The attempt of Chairman Smith to reach the resolution caused an uproar l of protest in the Senate. After a heat ed debate, Senator Hitchcock, presid- l ing temporarily, sustained a point of or der that q majority of the comrnitee and not of committeeman present must 1 order a measure reported, and rejected 1 the report returning the resolution to the committee. Senator Smith vigorously pro tested, declaring his committee had acted l in perfect good faith and in accordance
 with a universal Senate committaa cus- | tom.
 WILL RENEW FIGHT
 Administration leaders tonight promised
 to renew their fight tomorrow to avoid 1 extended committee hearings, while the l or position also promised insistent de- 1 mand for thorough investigation of all questions connected with the legislation 1 The administration is expected to throw it's support to resolution introduced | today by Senator Smith of Georgia, pro- posing to have the resolution returned 1 immediately from the committee to the Senate and discharging the committees l from further consideration of it. l Of the committee of r members, Chair
 man Smith and Senators Salisbury, Un- derwood and Lewis, all democrats. voted i at today's meeting to report the resolu- ton immediately to the Senate. The three other members present, Senators Pomerene. Myers and Kellogg. voted in the negative. Other committeeman either were out of the city or did not at. tend.
 PENROSE LEADS ATTACK
 Senator Penrose led the attack on re- ceiving the majority report, denouncins the action as high handed" and ap '.inlquity.r He said virtually all sena. tors had understood that hearings wers to be held and that in fact the 1 interstate commerce commission last Sas. lnrday had voted to hold hearings. Sena- tor Smoot also criticized the commit Itee.
 1 Defending the majority's action, Chair man smith said 1t had been taken in good faith. with no idea of snap jndg- ment" but in line with the established Senate committee custom which until today had not been questioned. STILL PENDING
 1 Senator Hitchcock, upon a point of cr- lder vigorously pressed by Senator Pen- lrose, sustained the Senate rule prohibit- Ling receipt of legislation from q com mittee minority, leaving the resolution still pending technically before Senator lSmith's committee. Joining with Sena- ltors Penrose and Shoot in demanding hearings on the resolution. Senators Reed and Romerene said the alleg9d war lreeessitys for the resolution had not yet
 se4 demonstrated and that tha senate shouli have information before acting, a tcontinaed m Page rwsl