Arizona republican., 1918-08-21
CONGRESS T0
 TAKE UP BILL
 ON THURSDAY
House and Senate to Begin
 Consideration of Man Power Measure Tomorrow
 Expect Passage Saturday
TRepubIlcsn A. p. Leased Wire1

IRepublcan A. p. Leased Wire1
 WASHINGTON, Aug. 20.-Both sen ate and house will begin consideration of the man power bill, extending the army draft age limits to IS and 45 years Thursday. The house military affairs committee today closed it's hearing and the bill will be reported tomorrow with an amendment adopted by a vote of to ', to defer service of youths IS 10 19 years of age until all others are called.
 An agreement was secured with Speaker Clark and with Representative Sims. in charge of the pending water power bill to give the man power act right of way Thursday. Chairman Dent of the house committee believes 1t can be passed in a single day
 Plan Passage By Saturday
 Passage of the bill by the house Thursday and by the senate by Satur- day is planned by leaders. Contests are expected in both branches In the senate debate is expected on the work or fight" amendment. In the house a controversy IS brewing over the con- mittee.s amendment to defer calling boys of IS and 19 years. a mandatory provision which Secretary Baker, Gen. eral March and General Crowder have vigorously opposed. With both senate and house committees pledged to low erlng the minimum age to IS years it appeared the age lines will be fixed as recommended by the war department.
 Call Youngest Last
 After stormy executive session in which Representative Kahn of Califor- mia led a fight which he promised to renew on the house floor, to retain the administration measures provision putting the order of calls for all men within the presidents discretion, the committee voted, 9 to ', to write in an amendment offered by Representative Mckenzie of lllinnoiS republican. pro- viding that all men twenty years and above shall be called before those of | 19 and IS with the IS year old youths | to be called last. The amendment makes mandatory what Secretary 1 Baker has indicated will be the policy of the war department
 Sharp Controversy Expected
 Representative Kahn expressed the belief that the amendment would be | rejected by the house. Chairman Dent and others of the committee, who ex- pressed themselves as dissatisfied with Secretary Bakers promise to make reg ulations for a separate class for Is year old boys and defer their call as long as possible, were confident the house would retain the amendment. If adopt ! ed by the house d sharp controversy l in conference is expected as the senate bill retains the administration provision for xecutive discretion in establishing calls.
 Work or fight legislation. Chairman Dent said tonight. is not contemplated by the house committe. The commit tee was said to take the position that the legislation is unnecessary in that present draft regulations protect the governments interests.
 Organized Labor Protests At the closing hearing organized la
 bor's protest against the work or fight clause in the senate bill was pre- , sented by Secretary Morrison of the
 American Federation of Labor, who de- , clared labor is loyal, strikes are not , 'appreciable' and the senate amend , ment would bring the odium of slack CTS upon workingmen and be bitterly
 resented. MT. Morrison suggested that
 big employing interests were secretly
 behind the legisla tion, which he de- nounced unsparingly as a covert plar to put into effect policy of labor con- , scription.
 | The house committee had hoped tC report out the bill today but the Me Kenzie and other amendments caused a the withholding of final action until to- . morrow. There also was said to be T disposition by committee members wht U opposed the original draft law ant ' other administration measures to holt . up action on the man power measure = The war department was understood t' have been criticised sharply during tn
 committee session.