Evening star., 1942-09-19
Initiation Curb
.Bi||sApproved
ByCommittees
Both Senote and House
Groups Refuse to
Raise Farm Ceilings
BY the Associated Press,

FIeSiUenL ROOSeVelt OcIldI1u
for prompt stabilization Of living
costs was a step closer to fulfill
ment today with both Senate and
House committees approving
bills to grant him unprecedented
authority to control wages, SAL
aries and farm prices.
The two measures, scheduled for
congressional action next week, diff
fered somewhat in their bestowal OF
authority to the President. But
both carried out in general admin
lstration wishes as the two COM
mittees rejected farm bloc demands
for a new and higher formula for
parity that would raise the ceilings
for farm products.
Legislation approved by the Sen
ate Banking Committee yesterday
fixed November l deadline for
Mr.. Roosevelt to exercise the pro-
posed powers to control the cost Of
living. 1t was detoured through the
Agriculture Committee and Re-
publican conference on the way to
the Senate consideration Monday.
House Bill Similar.
The House Banking Committee,
almost simultaneously, approved a
similar bill, but with the provision
adopted by the War Labor Board
in the Little Steel case forbidding
a wage or salary increase to an
employe earning Is per cent more
than on January /, 1941-an amount
equivalent to the rise in living costs
since that date.
AS the Senate measure came
out Of the committee with a unani-
nous vote, it would authorize and
direct the President to issue q gen.
eral order on or before November 1
stabilizing prices. wages and salaries
at September Is levels. as far as
practical.
The Senate group voted down
an amendment writing the Little
Steel formula into its bill.
The Senate committee ordered
copies Ct its measure sent to the
Agriculture group and to minority
members. who caucused to determine
what, if any, amendments they
would offer.
The November 1 date, inserted on
motion of Senator Taft, Republican,
OF Ohio, over the objections of Ma
jority Leader Barkley, was regarded
In some quarters as a congressional
answer to Mr.. Roosevelts recent
you-do-it-or-I-will ultimat,m to
legislators to act on anti-infiation
legislation before October 1. Elec.
tlons fall three days after the dead.
line.
Taft Attacks Doctrine.
Senator Taft declared In a RADIO
talk last night it was impossible to
"exaggerate the dangerous and revo-
lutlonary character of the doctrine
advanced by President Roosevelt
that he has powers under the Con-
stltutlon' to set aside provisions Of
the Price Control Act and fix wages
and salaries without statutory au.
| thority.
The threat that if Congress does
not act exactly in the way that he
demands that 1t act, he will proceed
! 10 exercise these constitutional au.
tnorltles is a real threat to the con-
tlnuatlon of democratic govern
ment," Senator Taft said.
TO accomplish the objectives OF
the bill, the President would be au.
thorized to suspend sections of the
Price Control Act which prevent the
imposition Of ceilings on farm COM
mooltles at levels below ITO per cent
OF parity. He could not drive them
below parity, however. parity is
an established price calculated tn
give farmers return equal in pur-
CHASING power to a past period
usually 1909-14)
Ceilings Are Set.
The bill declares that farm cell.
lngs shall not be set below 100 ney
cent Of parity, or the highest mar.
ket price for the commodity be-
tween January l and September
10, 1912, adjusted by the Secretary
OF Agriculture for grade, location
and seasonal differentials.
the committee adopted an
amendment by Senator O'Mahonev
Democrat. of wyoming, however.
which made two important excen-
tions. The amendment provided
that notifications shall be mada
In the ceilings of any raw or proc
essed farm commodity, under reg
uiations prescribed by the President,
when it appears necessary to in
crease production OF the commod.
ity for war purposes, or when it Is
satisfactorily shown" that the
maximum price would result in
gross 1nequities" because OF in.
creased labor or other costs.
The amendment was accepted bv
farm bloc forces after they lost
their fight to revise the parity
(See IMITATION, Page Aid