The Washington herald., 1921-01-25
Proponents Expect Act to
Get Sidetracked Until
Session Ends.
STOCK BREEDERS
GAIN EXEMPTION
Success in Upper House
Comes as Surprise After
Ten-year Campaign.

The Kenyon Kendrick Gronna
bill designed to place the packers
under Federal regulation passed
the Senate late yesterday afternoon
by a vote Of 46 to SO. The support
ers of the measure were enthusias-
tic at what they termed the high
water mark" of a ten-year strug-
gle, but acknowledged that the tide
would probably recede before &C
ton could be obtained in the House
and leave the bill high and dry on
March 4, necessitating the reintru-
duction of the bill at the next ses-
sion and renewal of the entire night.
The Senate enforced its nearest
approach to cloture before obtain
ing action on the bill by a unani-
nous consent agreement to vote on
all amendments and the final dis
position of the bill at o'clock.
Proponents of the legislation were
able to keep their forces fairly well
in line against amendments. The
most important changes were those
of Senator Key Pittman. OF Nevada,
and Senator Hoke Smith, of Geor-
gia.
Bill EIempts Ralsers.
The Pittman amendment provided
that the act should not apply to
any person engaged primarily in
the raising of livestock, giving the
producer the same exemption which
has been given the farmer and la
Dor in other forms of regulatory
legislation. Senator Smith obtained
the consent of the Senate to provide
for an appeal from the commission
created under the bill. Senator
James W. Wadsworth. of New York,
successfully forced the elimination
of horses, mules and goats from the
measure.
The final vote on the bill followed
generally the line of demarcation
between the purely agricultural
States of the Middle West, West and
South, against the East. The most
significant feature pointed out by
the opponents of the measure was
that the Senate showed a rising
feeling Of opposition to the extension
of Federal regulation in private in
dustry.
Becomes Tax Burden.
Two factors have aided in this
oppOsition-anti-So Socialism and the
desire for economy. The charge was
made that the tendency for Federal
regulation and interference with
the duties and powers of States was
becoming one of the heaviest bur-
dens that the taxpayers would have
to bear in the future and Congress
was being flooded with SocialistIc
legislation which tended to place
the heavy fist OF the government"
upon private affairs and private
business.
The bill as amended provides for
the creation of Federal Live Stock
Commission to have supervisory and
regulatory powers over the packing
industry. The licensing system has
been cut out, but there IS a provis-
ion for the voluntary registration
of packing companies. The packers
are required to maxi full and COM
plete returns of their operations to
the commission at stated intervals.
The regulatory clause of the bill
provide that the packers shall not
enter into any agreement or con-
spiracy to fix prices and that they
shall dispose of their stockyards'
holdings within two years after. the
passage of the act.
The roll call on the bill follows.
Yens-4G.
Republicans-Borah, Capper, Cur
tbs, GOodinE. Gronna, johnson, Cal:
Kellogg. Kenyon, La Toilette, Len
root, McNary, Nelson. Norris, Poin-
dexter. Spencer, Sterling, Townsend
and Willis-lS.
Democrats - Ashurst, Culberson,
Fletcher. Glass. Gore, Harris, Har-
rison, Hitchcock. Jones, New Mex
leo; Johnson, S. D; Kendrick, Kirby.
McKellar. Myers, Overman, Owen.
Phelan, Pittman, Pomerene. Rams
dell, Reed, Robinson, Sheppard,
Smith, Ga; Swanson, Trammell,
Walsh, Mass, and Walsh, Mont.-2S.
Nays-33.
Republicans - Ball, Brandegee,
Colt, Dillingham;, Edge, Elkins.
Fernald, France, Hale. keyes, Knox,
Lodge. McCumber, Mclean. Moses
New, Page, Phipps, Sherman, Smoot,
Sutherland. Wadsworth and Warren
-23.
emocrats-Beckham, Dial, Het-
lin, King. Shields, Smith, Ariz.;
Smith, Md; Stanley, Underwood and