Evening star., 1942-01-27
Henderson Appeal
For Compromise on
Price Bill Reported
Senate Prepares to Act
On Measure Approved
By House, 286 to III

b the Associated Presa
Acting Price Administrator Leon
Henderson was reported today to
have made a last-minute appeal
to Senators for final approval Of
compromise price-control legis-
lation.
Well-irformed sources said that
he had written q letter to Senators
in an attempt to refute any implica-
ton that he believed the pending bill
would not achieve the degree of
price control that current conditions
warrant. It also had been reported
that Republicans might try to block
President RooSevelt's expected ap-
pointment of Mr.. Henderson as ad-
ministrator once the bill becomes
law.
Some Senators were reported to
have said that there was no good
reason to have an administrator who
believed the legislation he was to
direct would be ineffective.
Approval Today Forecast.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Lead
er Barkley told reporters the confer
ence report on the price bill probably
would be approved today. He pre-
dicted approval also for the war
powers bill which was debated in the
Senate yesterday.
Senator Barkley's comments were
made at the White House after he
and other congressional leaders had
held their weekly legislative consul
tation with the President.
These developments came as the
Senate prepared to call up Senate
House compromise on the contro-
versial price legislation which the
House approved yesterday by . vote
Of 2S8 to 1l9
Senator Brown, Democrat, Of
Michigan, floor manager for the
bill, also said that the CELL
ings on % of the IS major farm
crops apparently would be affected
by only one Of the three agriculture
limitations in the bill-that pro-
hibiting the imposition of a ceiling
below ITO per cent of parity. Only
cotton and potatoes, he said, would
be affected by other stipulations
that ceilings could not be fixed be-
low the market levels Of October l
and December IS or the average
price from 1919 to 1929.
These farm restrictions-which
originally split both the House and
Senate and evoked the bitter criti-
cism Of the President before they
were worked out finally-went vir-
tually unnoticed in the rough and
tumble House debate yesterday.
Instead, argume ents centered
around q provision that the Price
Administration Once be authorized
to require licensing of businesses
to make the program effective and
another that a board of review be
created to restudy any price ceiling
orders that might be promulgated.
Woleott Proposal Defeated.
Under the leadership Of Repre-
sentative Wolcott. Republican, OF
Michigan an attempt was made to
eliminate the licensing sections and
to restore the review board once
approved by the House. But that
double-barreled proposition was de-
feated, 200 to la9.
Representative Wolcott declared
that the legislation, which Mr..
Roosevelt requested last July, would
have been approved flve months ago
if Congress had had confidence In
Mr.. Henderson,
Majority Leader Mccormack took
occasion during the animated de-
bate to say that reports that the
President might veto the bill were
unfounded, but he did say he be-
viewed that additional legislation
might have to be passed ito cor
rect some Of the defects in the pres
ent bill"
The legislation, first requested by
President Roosevelt last July, would
give a price administrator authority
10 nx celllngs on prices, IN MS ols-
cretion, as well al rents in defense
areas. Licenses could be required
for the conduct of almost any busi-
ness. If provisions of license were
violated the offending party would
be warned, then the Government
could petition a State court to sus-
pend it. That court might, after
a hearing. suspend the license for not
longer than II months and the ag-