Evening star., 1944-06-22
Six Measures Rushed
By Congress in Effort
To Recess Tomorrow
By ]. A. OLEARY.

With legislation extending
price controls for another year
on it's way to the President, Con-
gress was moving swiftly today
toward action on half a dozen
remaining must" measures in
the hope of recessing tomorrow
flor the political conventions.
Before tackling conference reports
On several remaining appropriation
bills, the House today will try to
dispose of a last-minute proposal to
overcome the Supreme Courts re-
cent decision holding that the in
surance business is subject to the
antitrust laws.
Even If the House passes the in
surance bill, there appeared to be
little hope for Senate action before
the recess. The Senate Judiciary
Committee, meeting this morning.
found that the subcommittee had
not reported the measure. The
subcommittee was called to meet
tomorrow, but no further plans
we're made for the full committee
to meet before adjournment.
The House completed passage
today of the war contract termina-
ton bill approved by the Senate
yesterday, but more comprehensive
plans for reconversion of industry
no longer needed for war work is
destined to await the return of the
lawmakers in August.
First Step in Postwar Planning.
The contract termination bill Is a
first step in postwar planning, de-
signed to expedite settlement of such
contracts. The bills to be taken up
after the recess deal with disposal
of Government plants and surplus
materials, and the establishment Of
special unemployment payments for
workers while they are finding a
peacetime job.
The appropriation bills to which
finishing touches will be applied
within the next "a hours include
the $4,000 ,000, 900 Army budget, the
81 ,030 .000. 900 war agencies bill, in
volving Senate limitations on the
powers of the Presidents Fair EN-
ployment Practices Committee; the
District appropriation bill, one re-
manning dispute in the agricultural
supply bill and last deficiency bill.
due to reach the Senate today.
The insurance legislation before
the House is the outgrowth of a case
involving Federal action against 1913
insurance companies accused of con-
spiracy to flx and maintain arbi-
trary and noncompetitive rates on
fire insurance sold in Southern
States. A Federal court sustained
demurrer to the indictment on
the ground insurance was not inter-
state commerce and hence was not
subject to the antitrust laws.
Subsequently, in a split opinion
reversing its stand of rs years, the
Supreme Court held that insurance
Is interstate commerce.
Backers of the legislation, a six
line proposal, contend it is necessary
to protect the right of States to
regulate insurance and to block con-
troll of that business by a Federal
bureaucracy Opponents insist it's
enactment will result in transfer of
insurance business to big companies.
to the detriment of the smaller ones.
Both houses finally agreed on a
one-year extension OF price con-
troll and wage stabilization from
June 80, with a compromise pro-
vision for revision of cotton textile
ceilings, an issue that had caused
a prolonged fight.
officials say the compromise may
result in some upward price adjust
ments in that field, but was less
Objectionable to the administration
than the detailed formula proposed
by the Senate for fixing cotton
textile prices.