The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-21

 committee consisting of Senators Murray, Truman and Revercomb reports that the three major acts on which the Congress centered its at- tention-contract termination, sur plus property disposal, war mobiliz- ation and reconYersion-are import ant transition measures, but no- thing more. Ideas expressed at the the time = that these acts were all that were needed to assure high level of postwar employment-are flouted. None of them" says the subcommittee report. 'even aims at providing the basis for a sound postwar economy"
 FAILURES OF CONGRESS CITED
 Additional legislation passed by the Congress just now folding up is listed as an inadequate G. l. Bill of Rights and a miscellaneous assortment of flood control, rivers and harbors and public roads measures.
 Shortcomings of the Congress with respect to postwar legislation are listed as postponing action to develop river basins of the country, accomplishment of little in the way of postwar tax programs; failure to do anything about discrimina- tory freight rates, promotion of foreign trade, settling on policy for dealing with monopolieS and car tels, or mapping plans for dealing with the fundamental postwar prob lemS of labor relations, wages and prices.
 Coming from Congress itself, that is a pretty severe indictment, but it is a pretty complete appraisal of what was not done during the past session and what there is to do in the 18th Congress, converting i'll January.
 The political campaign and the election of course interfered with concentrated effort during the sum- mer and fall while the develop mentS of the war, particularly the recent increased demands for war production, have made any think ing about postwar planning seem rather premature.
 But there will be disagreement from other quarters of Congress that SO little has been accom- pliShed. While the congressman themselves looked homeward to see what could be done about getting reelected, committe staSfs did keep their eyes on the ball to the extent they could.
 rrnDHr T>ONxNEUTrESu
 TO CONTINUE
 The permanent help of the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Tax ation, aided by Treasury Depart ment experts, has bee nworking for months on postwar tax plans, should be ready to report shortly after the new Congress conveneS.
 For the future, Senator Walter F. Georges Committee on Postwar Economic Policy does not expire with the end of the 18th Congress and has sufficient appropriation to continue its labors in the 79th, which the chairman intends to do working wherever possible through standing committees of the Senate Its chief of staff is Meyer Jacob stein, of Brookings Institution.
 The companion committee, head ed by Rep. w. M. Colmer in the House, has its plans a little fur- ther mapped out, is holding hear ings in Chicago on Agriculture and Mining, plans further Investigations into the fields of foreign trade, pub lie works, demobilization, re-em- ployment and unemployment insur- ance. Head of its staff are Marion B. Folsom and A. D. H. Kaplan of the Committee for Economic Development.
 The real lack of planning comes in the executive departments of the government. Every agency has it's own research group at work on big postwar plans, but there has been no centralized direction of planning since the National Re- sources Planning Board was abol- ished by Congress.
 There is a golden opportunity for the President to pull a postwar rabbit out of his hat in his meS- sage to the new Congress, but as Commander-in-Ch Chief he may have othar thinOc to do