Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-22
IGNORED SENATE
IS OFFENDED BY
GARFIELD ACTION
Despite Legislative Discomfort
Public Recognizes Necessity
of Order and viii Cooper
ate to the Fullest Extent
BY EALPH SMITH

/ d kSAAEd
/ WASHINGTON, u. G, Jan. 1S.-There
| is.a feeling of tenseness and expectancy
| in Washington today appropos the dis
/ regard of the august senate by the
/ executive branch of the government
/ respecting the fuel administrations
workless-day order.
Members Of Hhe senate individually
I and collectively feel aggrieved that DR..
| Harry Garfield. acting for the president
/ paid not The slightest heed to the pre-
! ponderating voice of the senate in the
! Passage of the Hitchcock resolution re-
questing that the workless-day order be
! delayed for five days, in order that pro-
tests might be heard and an investi-
cation conducted to ascertain the ad.
visibility of such drastic action. Their
seuSbilites are doubly injured because
DR.. Garfield signed and promulgated
his order without awaiting official no
tice as to the wishes of the senate.
The situationI combines elements Of
l'seriousness, humor and pathos that have
operated in Washington. for the time be-
ing at least, to overshadow in the public
eye the effect and operation of the
voorhees, day order. It is serious be-
cause the breach between the senate and
executive may disarrange and hamper
! the war machine, since cooperation in
branches Cfthe government is essential
in the crisis, il is humorous IN that the
executive disregard leaves the senate
stripped of its Wanted power.
The patnos finds color in the wasted
effort of senatorial talent and intelli~
gence to estop or defer by petition a
power willingly conferred by it's own
! legislative enactments.
TEMPEST in Teapot
Viewed in ali these lights the stir
ring debate in the senate yesterday
! over the voorhees, day program of the
| fuel administration may be regarded as
! a tempest in a teapot. The senate talk
ed and waxed wrathy. worked itself into
state of great excitement and indig-
| nation while the fuel administration
| continued quietly with the preparation
of its drastic and revolutionary order
| for the suspension of industry and COM
merce east of the Mississippi river for
| Il period of fourteen days
! And while the indignation in the SEN
ate scars higher and yet higher, the
| fuel administration, the White House
! cabinet officers, individual senator's and
members Of the house are being
| swamped with telegraph and telephone
| calls from all sections protesting
| against the order, as indicated in these
! dispatches yesterday. However, most OF
| the complaints proceed from a misun-
| Outstanding of the exigencies of the sit
| believes that criticism will subside as
the people appreciate the gravity of the
| situation.
| There is every reason to believe that
| the fuel administration rightly judges
| of public sentiment.
Although the senate today is in a fer
ment of excitement, predicated for the
| most part on the affront of the executive
| department, there are evidences at the
fuel administration that the government
will receive patriotic cooperation in the
enforcement of voorhees,, days from the
| commercial and industrial interests af-
fected
The people are beginning to under
stand and appreciate the gravity of the
occasion. There are Indications that
their confidence in the president and his
| advisers has served not only to reaSsure
! them with respect to wisdom of the
! surprising course, but to convince them
that no genuine hardship will be visited
! upon any industry.
| Appreciation of the exemptions and
/ exceptions in DR.. Garfeld's order UNI
questionably has operated to silence
much of the complaint.
Human Rights First
The Garfield order, in the last analysis
means simply that again the administra-
ton has recognized that human rights
are entitled to first consideration and
! preferential treatment over properly
rights and Industrial effort. The prime
| underlying motive of the voorhees, day
order is to supply the individual with
! fuel during the cold weather and to
| speed up the war machine by making Il
possible to relieve transportation and
| terminal congestion.
Authorities at the fuel administrst-
! ton admit unhesitatingly that the Gev.
/ Iield order. with it's many exemptions
and exceptions, will not be easy of en-
forcement. Indeed, they appreciate the
! difficulty respecting it's correct interpre-
tation. but they rely, in the end. on local
fuel administrators to exercise a rare
discrimination and good discernment in
the application of the order
Factories, mills and industrial plants,
especially in the south, that are equipped
with patent fire sprinkler systems or
with exposed water pipes under the
general exceptions will be permitted 70
burn coal to protect them against the
! consequence of freezing and destruction
of property from bursting pipes.
The order specifically cOnfers upon
state and local fuel administrators the
right TO exercise their discretion to pro-
tect property against loss from either
fire or freezing.