The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-05-01

ceived a message from the Senate,
announcing the passage Of the Over
man bill, which gives the President
power to coordinate everything he
likes in any and every department
in any way he pleases. The House
is going to pass that bill. 1t knows
it. II is not only an "Administra-
ton BILL" but an Administration
bill of the kind both House and SEN
ate know they "have to" pass.
Everybody at the Capitol knows
how to tell an Administration bill
of that kind. When the censorship
is removed, and free speech restored,
the simple secret of finding out in
advance what kind of Administra-
ton bills are going to pass because
the House and Senate 'fhave to,
may be explained in this column. At
present, it is only necessary to say
that, although Secretary Lanes Adj
ministration bills are Just as official
as IL they came from the Treasury
Department, the Navy Department,
the War Department, or the White
House, everybody in both House and
Senate knows that they don't have
to" pass them, because Secretary
Lane says so. Hence, unless the
President, or Secretary McAdoo in
tervenes, Secretary Lane is likely 10
find either the House or the Senate
in open rebellion, even after he has
decided that one Of his ideal meas
ures must be passed to win the war.
This Is what occurred yesterday.
The House made a football Of one
Of Secretary Lanes ideal measures,
and this after Hon. Nicholas Long
worth, Of the House Of Roosevelt,
had Endorsed and paid Secretary
Lane the compliment Of rating him
as the ablest and least selfish mem
Der Of the Cabinet.
The bill In question was the Geo.
logical Bureau bill TO encourage the
production Of thirty-nine named
varieties OF minerals and all others
found necessary for winning the war.
There are many sections for the reg
uiation, as well as for the encourage
ment OF all who have or expect TO
have anything TO do with these min
erals. All these sections depended
on one section sppropriating $780,
00O, 900 to set Mr.. Lanes department
up In price-hxing, on the same scale
and by the same methods which Mr..
Hoover and DR.. Garfield have made
famous. First, by a vote Of "a
70 &c the House reduced Secretary
Lanes price-hXing fund from $50, 000,-
100000 TO $4,000, 900, after advis-
ing him TO apply for the rest
to Mr.. McAdoo's halfbillion-dol-
lar revolving fund, as authorized
for the express purpose Of fostering
production to win the war. Then,
by vote Of 156 to $50, II struck out
Mr.. Lanes whole plan Of price-fix-
ing, which, all things considered, was
much more artistic than the Hoover
and Garfield plan, or the Gore plan,
or any other imposed on this country
up to date This done, there was
an enthusiastic rally for the bill,
and It passed by q vote Of POI toe.
1t might have been more compli-
imentary to Mr.. Lane to send the bill
back to him with the enacting clause
stricken out. In connection with
manganese" and ferro-manganese
in the debate on II, the now effete is
sue between Democrats and Republi-
cans on "the Robber tariff" was re-
vived. OF course, as price-fixing to
foster industries Of any kind is worse
than subsidies and worse than the
highest protective duty ever framed.
as II Is grossly and flagrantly uncon-
stitutional, as II attacks and strikes
down free trade among the States,
as It threatens all liberty Of business,
and as far as II uses money from
the Treasury is more in the nature
Of larceny than the worst abuses OF
the worst "Robber tariff''-of course,
/ in view Of all this, no Democrat"
who supports such a system will ever
try to make an issue again against
robbery under q Republican tariff.
OF course not But as this was the
first time Secretary Lane had under
| taken to participate in the new sys-
TEN, why should Democrats and Re-
publicans join in treating him and
his able stan of compulsory scient-
lists as II no one need be at all afraid
of them7 Why. why. why?
Before a Joint session OF Congress
sional Committees OF Education and
Labor, Mr.. T. B. Hdner. vocational
secretary Of the invaded soldiers
commission in the Canadian depart
ment Of soldiers civil re-establish-
ment. explained the Canadian system
of rehabilitation" for MANNED vet
Grams, very briefly yesterday in an
syer TO questions. He Will speak
more fully today on the Canadian
method Of educating for civil en-
ployments veterans Of the trenches
who have come back Rrmless and
legless, blind, or otherwise manned.
ne said that the Canadian system is
not compulsory. Sociologists and
philanthropic experts from Washing
ton bureaus are appearing before the
COMMITTEES. II has before 1t Identical
sociological bills, one introduced In
the Senate by Mr.. Hoke Smith, Of
Georgia; the other In the House by
Mr.. Sears, Of Florida. The control
KILL e that fWIa-