REPORT OF THE SOLICITOR. 387 



Somewhat detailed statements of the principal activities of the 

 oflico, without reiteration of what has been fairly covered by tlie 

 foregoing sunimar}^, follow : 



THE FOOD CONTROL AND THE FOOD PRODUCTION OR SURVEY BILLS. 



"When a state of war was recognized as existing between this 

 coiuitry and Germany, the national food situation demanded tlie at- 

 tention of the Congress and this department. On April 0, 1!)17, a 

 resolution, Senate No. 26, was adopted by the Senate requesting the 

 Secretary of Agriculture to immediately submit to the Senate a com- 

 prehensive plan for increasing the production of food supplies and 

 for the creation of an organization to carry out this purpose. On 

 April 10 an important conference, called by the Secretary, was held 

 at St. Louis, Mo., and attended by a large number of State agricul- 

 tural officials and representatives of agricultural colleges, for the 

 purpose of discussing the agricultural situation. The conference 

 formulated a series of recommended courses of action, many of which 

 contemplated emergency legislation by Congress. A similar confer- 

 ence was held at Berkeley, Cal., on April 13. On April 18, comply- 

 ing with the Senate resolution, the Secretary submitted copies of the 

 conclusions reached at these conferences, with his recommendations 

 concerning the production and distribution of foods throughout the 

 country and the necessary organization to carry on the work in- 

 volved. At the same time this office was called upon, and immedi- 

 ately proceeded to analyze the conclusions reached at the conferences 

 above mentioned, together with the Secretary's recommendations, 

 and to draft, in the form of a bill or bills for possible introduction 

 in Congress, such legislation as might be considered advisable to 

 accomplish the objects in view. Many of the proposals were without 

 legal precedent und-er Federal law in this country and, from the 

 standpoint of legislative drafting, many were merely bare sugges- 

 tions. Consequently an immense amount of work became necessary, 

 first, in formulating the ideas involved in the proposed legislation 

 and, second, in investigating and determining the legal aspects. A 

 thorough study was made of the powers vested in Congress which 

 might be exercised to meet the situation and, in particular, of the 

 so-called war powers, including the etfect of the various amendments 

 to the Constitution, especially those with respect to unreasonable 

 searches and seizures, self-incriminating evidence, and due proce&s 

 of law, in the light of the decisions of both Federal and State courts. 

 In addition, the necessity of considering various administrative and 

 economic phases of the proposed legislation also devolved upon this 

 office. The Office of Markets and Rural Organization constantly 

 assisted this office in the consideration of these phases of the contem- 

 plated legislation, and each proposal was carefully scrutinized and 

 reviewed by the Secretary or his assistants. Numerous drafts were 

 prepared, successively incorporating, adding, discarding, and rein- 

 corporating ideas, involving the incidental, but extremely important 

 alterations in and consideration of the meaning and effect of, the 

 language used. This work found its substantial expression in House 

 joint resolution 75, introduced on April 30, and bills H. R. 4036, 



