Evening star., 1944-12-16
Huge Foreign Trade
Expansion Key 10 Job
Goal, Lawyers Told
Three Major Problems
Outlined in Order TO
Reach Objective

Reoch Objective
Attainment of the Presidents
goal OF $4,000 900 jobs after the wal
depends on the development of for
eign trade on a scale never before
known in peacetime, H. D. White
assistant to the Secretary of the
Treasury, today told the Committee
on Postwar Planning of the Ma
tional Lawyers Guild, meeting at the
Hotel Willard.
ITO achieve this enormous ex-
pansion in our foreign trade" Mr.
White said, I'VE will have to con-
centrate on three major problems.
First, the values of foreign cur
rencies must be stabilized so that
foreign trade may be carried on
without our businessmen running
the risk of losing their profits and
investments through currency f1uc-
tuation.
Second, economic warfare must
be eliminated as an instrument of
national policy on the part of many
Of the trading nations of the
world. Third, a long term invest
ment capital must be provided on
a sound basis for the reconstruc-
ton of war-torn countries and the
development of backward countries.
so that the whole volume of world
trade can be substantially in
creased"
Another speaker at today's confer
ence was Jerome r. Hellerstein,
chairman of the Committee on
Taxation of the National Guild. who
presented five major points of
peacetime taxation program ap-
proved by his committee.
Tax Revision Proposed.
The points included % small cor
porate business should be encouraged
through reduced corporate tax rates,
20 personal income tax exemptions
should be increased to $1,000 for a
single person and to $4,000 for a
married couple, with the existing
$500 for dependents retained; 80
the carry-over and carry-back pro-
visions should be made to apply to
unused personal exemptions and
credits for dependents, "a the sue
cesscr to the Victory tax. the fiat 3
per cent normal tax on all incomes
above $500, should be repealed; (5)
a general sales tax should be opposed
vigorously.
The committee was scheduled to
discuss the human aspects" of the
transition from war to peace at an
afternoon session Speakers were
to include Evan Clague, director of
the Bureau of Employment Security,
Social Security Board; Frank Fen
ton. national director of organiza-
ton, American Federation of Labor,
and William L. Bait, vice chairman
of the War Production Board and
chairman of the National Planning
Association.
The conference was scheduled to
end tonight with dinner at Hotel
Statler. Justice William L. Douglas
will make the principal address.
Toastmaster will be Thurman
Arnold.
The committee is directed by Rob-
ert w. Kenny, president of the guild
and attorney general of California.
About 100 attorneys from widely
different sections of the country
are participating in the discussions.
Wise disposal of surplus property
plants and goods-after the war will
increase the standards of living in
America, aid little business and go a
long way toward solving postwar
employment and production prob
lens, Maury Maverick, chairman
and general manager of the Smaller
War Plants Corp, told the commit
tee last night.
Two Plans Suggested.
Two ways of getting surplus prop
critics into the hands of little busi-
ness were discussed by Mr.. Maver-
lex. First selling the new tools to
little business at specifically reduced
prices to those who junk or turn
in their old tools, and second the
leasing of machine tools to little
business.
Speaking of disposal of Govern
ment factories and other Govern
ment industrial buildings after the
war. Mr.. Maverick suggested that
the large plants could be converted
easily to the needs of small business
under what is known as the multi
pie rental system" He pointed out
that the system of subdividing and
renting space in a large building to
number of different, independent
ly owned businesses is a familiar
system in America and could apply
to the big wartime Government fac
tories and buildings.
Another speaker at the confer
ence was Neil Brant, Washington
representative of the United Elec-
trical, Radio and Machine Workers
of America, CIO, who spoke on La
boris Stake in the Disposal of Sur
plus Property"
Lauding the Surplus Property Act
as "a good act Mr.. Brant warned
that everything depends on how
the act is administered" if all It's
purposes are to be achieved.