Evening star., 1933-06-07
WAGNER APPEALS
FOR RECOVERY BILL
Senator Warns Definite Ac-
ton Is Needed as De-
bate Starts.
BY the Associated Press.

! BY the Associated Press.
The administrations industrial re.
covery-public works bill-last of the
major measures to come before the ex-
ira Session-began its journey. through
the Senate today with Democrats con-
fldent they could prevent drastic re-
visions to be proposed by Republicans
and some members on their own side.
Senator Wagner, Democrat, of New
York, principal author of the bill
opened debate after Republican reg
ulars in party conference had decided
to press for a sales tax of y per cent
to finance the S3,300,000,0 900 Federal,
State and local construction program.
The Republicans also decided to pro-
pose elimination of the section author
izing the President to license industries
to force their adherence to fair trade
agreements adhered to by a majority
in an industry.
Democratic leaders predicted this as
well as the sales tax would fail.
Warns Distress Is Not Over.
A warning that the economic emer-
gency is not over and that definite &C
ton is still required for revival was
sounded by Senator Wagner, principal
congressional author of the administra-
ton measure. Wagner took the floor
to defend the daring experiment In in
dustriai planning that it undertakes, as
well as its huge $4,000 000, 900 program
of Federal, State and local public works
The proposed sales tax. to be offered
by Senator Reed, Republican, of Penn
sylvania, would exempt food, clothing
medicine and fuel. If the sales tar
fails, as Democratic leaders predict, the
Republicans planned to propose elini-
nation of the 15-cent increase in the
1-cent-a-g gallon gasoline tax.
Twenty-Seven Republican regulars
attended the conference. Its decisions
were not binding, as in the case OF a
caucus. Senator McNary, the Republic
an leader, told newspaper men after
ward:
There was very general feeling OF
approval, that a sales tax would be
more equitable than the taxes con-
tanned in the bill"
Called Employment" Proposal
Describing the bill as an employ
ment" proposal, Wagner told an atten-
tive Senate that while there had been
some slight improvement" in economic
conditions in the last three months
if nothing is done to speed revival 1--WE
SlldA IlOL Ollly lUoC SuCu gains % lldfS
been made, but shall relapse into q
chaos, the consequences of which are
too alarming to contemplate"
Wagner asserted the suspension o1
antitrust laws contemplated to permit
trade agreements under the bill was
directly intended to carry out the
objectives which those laws failed to
achieve
The purpose of the antitrust laws -
he said, was to prevent the excessive
concentration of wealth and to keep
intact the social and economic oppor-
tunities of small business men, laborers
and consumers.
Even from the start, the method
had slight chance of success, because
it was not based upon twentieth CEN
tury economic philosophy.
Business Expansion Cited.
"The antitrust laws have not
checked in the slightest degree the
constant growth in the size of business
units, and the intensifying concentra-
tion of a relatively few enormous enter
prisss. They did have other effects.
And as In the case with most laws
which are out of touch with the times,
many of the effects were bad.
Business expanded in size by ruthless
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