Evening star., 1941-12-28
Price-ConfroI Bill
To Be Strengthened
By Senate Group
Bonkine Committee Will
Meet Friday to Report
Revised House Measure
Nv T. A. OTEARY,

DN IA "
With control Of prices scheduled
as the first major issue in the 1912
session of Congress, the Senate
Banking Committee has been called
to meet Friday to report out a
stronger draft of the House bill.
Under existing law, the second
session of the Seventy-seventh
Congress would have to convene
January 8, but since that will be
Saturday, a joint resolution may
be passed by both houses early this
week changing the opening date
to Monday, January S, for this year
only.
Regarded as a vital cog in the de-
Tense machine, the price-control bill
will be pushed to early completion
in order to curb imitation, which
would increase the consumers bur-
den as we'll as the cost to the Gov
eminent of winning the war.
With the Nation at war, members
Of Congress are facing a strenuous
year, in which succession Of i'm
portant bills will follow the price
control measure.
In the off1ng are further boosts
In taxes, the probable early re-
vival of demands for legislation to
prevent labor disputes from slowing
down defense production and the
regular list Of annual appropriation
bills.
Must Decide on Economies.
In the drafting of these regular
annual supply bills for the fiscal
year beginning July 1, the Appro-
priation Committees of House and
Senate will hold the decision on how
much should be cut from monde
fense projects to help meet the
cost of national defense.
A special Joint Economy Commit
tee a few days ago made prelimin-
ary recommendation that approx
mately 81 300000,0OO be pared from
peace time public works, outlays
for agriculture and from some Of
the grants that were started to
overcome the depression.
Members of Congress are waiting
to see what the President will say on
this subject in his annual budget
message, believing that whatever the
administration recommends will go
a long way toward determining how
much retrenchment will be carried
out.
Chairman George Of the Senate
Finance Committee, who soon will
be confronted with the task OF con-
sidering further new tax levies to
win the war, believes part Of the
revenue needed should come from
postponement of expenditures which
would be meritorious in normal
times, but which the government is
not in a position to carry on now
He said yesterday, I'VE must all
make up our minds to forego many
things to win this war, and this ap-
plies to capital and labor-to all OF
u.s."
Farm Ceiling Is Issue.
Although the Senate Banking
Subcommittee gave tentative ap-
proval 10 days ago to a revision OF
the House price-control bill, re-
storing the licensing method OF en-
forcement and providing for single
administrator, further changes may
be made before the bill Is brought
to the Senate floor.
The subcommittee will meet again
at 10 o'clock Friday morning to
make a final recommendation to the
f1llI committee when 1t meets at
pm. Friday.
One OF the issues still unsettled
and which is likely to be a storm
center of debate, is the placing OF
q ceiling on farm commodities.
The House bill dealt literally with
the farmer by adopting three yard
sticks for determining the level to
which farm prices could go. 1t pro-
vided that no ceiling could be placed
on agriculture below: Cd The mar
ket price on October /, 1941: (2)
10 per cent of parity, nor go, the
average price between July, 1919
and June, 1929.
Fight May Develop.
The subcommittee already has in
dicated an effort will be made to
place q tighter curb on farm prices
although the final decision awaits
this weeks action. II the move Is
carried out a fight IS almost certain
to be made by some Senators from
agricultural States.
Tho need for speedy priee-cont'o
action was shown in the recent testt.