The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-01-17
SENATOR WOULD
SET ASIDE ORDER

after it's necessity is established by
investigation was set afoot in the
senate today.
A resolution to that purpose was
prepared by Senator Gallinger, re-
publican leader.
The resolution by Senator CAL
1ineer was prepared after confer
ence with other republican leaders
who were determined to prevent,
if possible, having the coal orders
go into effect.
News of the agitation evidently
got to the ears of the administra-
ton leaders because Fuel Admins
traitor Garfield hurried to the cap
itol.
Hitchcock Has Proposal.
Senator Hitchcock. democrat, today
introduced a resolution in the senate
TO suspend the fuel order for five days.
Senator Hitchcock introduced his
resolution after comforting with other
democratic leaders in the senate VINO
have apprehensions of the wisdom and
effect of the order.
| Senator Gallinger, republican leader,
| also introduced a resolution proposing
| that the coal orders be suspended until
after an investigation of their neces-
1 sity.
| Senator Reed said he would ask the
senate to postpone action on the
| Hitchcock resolution until his com
| mittee had heard DR.. Garfield.
| DR.. Garfield agreed to go before the
! committee at once.
| Senator Vardaman, another member
of the committee, asked Senator Reed
| to do this.
at is unfair to Garfield" he said,
.to pass this resolution without Civ
ing him an opportunity to explain his
reasons for the order"
II think the best thing we could do
would to pass this resolution and de-
bate it afterwards" said Senator
| Thomas.
Pomerene Critical.
IL regard this order as a, calamity"
declared Senator Pomerene. Il feel
there was no necessity for it at the
| present time."
| senator Smith, Of South Carolina.
/ said a South Carolina manufacturing
communicated with him oday asking II
plants using water power were affected
by the order
| 81 called the fuel administration Of
flee on the telephone and was in
formed the order affected all plants not
| specifically excluded by the order
said Senator Smith. y.
THAT clerk again l guess,
| calculated Senator Tillman.
Senator Pomerene previously had
said he was unable to see Mr.. Garfield
and was referred to an assistant.
Responding to question by Senator
| McCumber, republican, SEM or Pome-
rene said he believed the situation now
was due more to the transportation
question than anything else.
! M.uIl AAdrAee preei ident
at seems to me that from every
point of view this order was very
unwise one" he said.
IF it is an unwise order, has con-
/ gress been reduced to such position
, that it can only make request of the
fuel administrator demanded Sena-
tor Borah.
Senator Knox, republican, wanted the
resolution addressed directly to the
president.
Reform Running Wild.
Senator Hitchcock declared that the
coal order was an example or the CO.
ordination and reform In our govern
| ment is now running wild.
81 do not presume to say the fuel
administrator has made a mistake"
said Sentor Hitchcock "All l ask is
that sufficient time be given before the
order goes into effect to permit the
country to be heard. The thing he did
has been called national calamity. The
fuel administration may be confronted
with a serious situation in trying to
get coal for the ships we send across
the seas or in maintaining the rail-
roads, but before tking action / think
at least five days should be given.'
Vardaman Interrupts.
Senator Hitchcock was interrupted
by Senator Vardaman, member or
,, the subcommittee investigating the coal
situation, who said the committee nad
a mass of evidence it would report
very soon and If postponement was
effected the senate would have the ben
eft of that. >,
81 regard this order as a calamity
declared Senator Vardaman. THE sit
uation." continued Senator Hitchcock
sis an argument for reform in bur gov
ernment. | predict that before much
time eIapses we will be compelled TO
lodge somewhere absolute power Tor
: CO. ordination of branches of our gov
ernment that are now running wild.
The various officials and branches OF
r the government are not working ID
| harmony or co-ordinating. 1t is I'M
, possible for the president with his
, manifold duties and enormous tasks to
have all the direction. What we neeo
, is a war cabinet. below the president
! and above the cabinet. If we had mad
such a war cabinet this coal order
never would have been issued.
This thing has come like bolt oi
lightning from clear sky. 1t means
the closing of thousands of establish
ments when we are striving to keep ur
production. 1t will mean the throwing
out of employment of thousands OF
! persons. 1t will involve establishments
; that are making munitions for the
! government. In some cases It will even
, involve plants operated by water
/, power. 1t is such a revolutionary
! order and involves evils of such extent
that l consider ii a wise thing to pause
for five days while an investigation is
being made"
Senator Calder. of New York, repub-
Iican supporting the Hitchcock reso-
tuition, cited how a shipbuilder, pro-
testing against the order, today said
his shipyard had enough coal to run
) for three weeks but would have to sus-
| pend tomorrow If the order goes into
effect.
5 Weeks Supports Resolution.
J 'T submit" said Mr.. Calder, thai
J what we need in this nation In many
of the commissions are men with busi-
! ness training who will plan In advance
! and coordinate their work"
A Of f1f