Evening star., 1943-05-27
On Move 10 Restore
Money for NRPB
Rops Postwar Program
As PortIy Product Of
Dangerous Imagination
Bv ]. A. OLEARY.

The postwar domestic program
of the National Resources Plan
ming Board appears to be partly
socialism and partly the product
of dangerous imagination"
Senator Taft, Republican, of
Ohio declared in the Senate to-
day as he launched a fight
against any more funds to keep
the agency going.
His opposition to any allotment
for the board came as a counter
move to the amendment of Senator
McKellar, Democrat, of Tennessee
to increase the item for the board
in the independent offices bill from
100000 to S5340O0 The House al
ready has voted against any money
for the agency after June 30. but
the Senate Appropriations Commit
tee restored 100000 of the 81 400 900
budget estimate.
Senator Taft said he wanted to
emphas size he is not opposed to post
war planning. but had supported the
creation of a special Senate COM
mittee for that purpose. under Sen
ator George, Democrat, of Georgia.
Il oppose this appropriation be-
cause of the kind of planning which
the National Resources Planning
Board has done and is doing, and
the kind Of plans they are making
for the people of the United States,
said Senator Taft.
The Ohioan said the boards plans
are based on unlimited Government
spending and unlimited interference
in all business activity and regu-
lation of that activity. plus a very
large amount of Government oper-
alton of industry
The planning boards outline for
welfare programs in this country
after the war presents an "unpleas-
ant contrast with the Beveridge re-
port in England" the Senator de-
clared. He said the British plan is
set forth definitely. with costs CAL
culated The program Of the plan
ming board he called purely prop
aganda' and described it as sug-
gesting merely "a bigger and better"
WPA and PWA.
Nowhere is there suggested any
possibility that the expense will be
greater than the people can bear"
the Ohio Senator added.
Raps DIR. Burns.
He referred to letters from Fred
eric A. Delano. chairman of the
board, and from DR.. Charles E.
Merriam, vice chairman. denying
the agency's plans are based on
deficit financing, but the Senator
insisted he could demonstrate it,
Senator Taft said the boards re-
port on security work and relief
policies apparently is written by
d., Evelyne NJ Burns. a graduate
of the London School of Economics
and a Socialist disciple of Mr..
Harold Lasky."
Dr. Burns has only mild So
ciallstic views" Senator Taft con-
tinued, but they permeate all of
her report. Her husband is an en-
ploye and adviser of the War Pro-
duction Board on the subject of
labor. He also has written a book
entitled Decline of Competition
which advocates a completely So
clalistic control of industry"
Senator Byrd, Democrat. of Vir-
ginla. joined Senator Taft in uSging
that no more funds be allowed the
planning board.
We want postwar planning said
Senator Byrd, but we do not want
the kind of planning we have had
from the board in the past 10 years
that has brought us to the brink of
disaster"
Senator Guffey, Democrat. of
Pennsylvania. said he had the pleas
ure Of serving with members of the
Planning Board once in a study of
anthracite mining and found them
very competent, intelligent and
constructive He said he would
support the agencys appropriation.
The future status of the board is
the first of a series of controversies
that may develop during the after
noon as the Senate tries to dispose
Of three big supply bills
In the S262l .539,379 independent
offices bill, the main issues are the
continued existence of the board and
the Home Owners Loan Corp,
which the House sought to wind up.
The biggest of the three supply
measures-the s6,273 ,629 900 Lease
Lend Funds likely to be the least
controversial. AS approved by the
Senate Appropriations Committee
yesterday, the only material change
was to strike out a House ban on
use of any of the money to pay
agricultural subsidies The Sena-
tors struck it out chiefly on the
ground that the subsidy issue should
be settled on its merits, and not
by rider to an appropriation bill.
Curbs Transfer of Funds,
The third bill is the Sl43,639 ,59l
urgent deficiency bill, into which
the Senate committee yesterday
wrote a provision prohibiting the
President from transferring any
of the $50 1922 900 of emergency funds
to any agency for which Congress
has made an appropriation, or for
any function Congress has failed to