Evening star., 1944-01-19
Roosevelt Would Shift
Blame for Failures
Taft Tells Forum

Senator Taft. Republican, of Ohio.
last night defended congressional
stabIlization policies against what
he described as "a deliberate effort
lately on the. part of the administra-
ton to try to shift the responsibility
for its failures in administering the
home front" to the legislative
branch.
| In an address in the National
Radio Forum, a Blue Network fea-
ture arranged by The Evening Star
and broadcast locally over WMAL,
Senator Taft said:
Il believe 1t is fair to say that no
American Government has ever been
given such wide powers to deal with
price and wage control as have been
granted to the President by this
and the previous Congress, to say
nothing of the powers claimed by
the administration as war powers.
If there have been any failures in
dealing with prices or wages they
can only be due to the administra-
ton"
Hits Labor Draft Proposal.
| The Ohio Senator also criticized
the Presidents proposal for national
service legislation, which he said
was offered as strike-control meas
ure by the administration with the
hope that it would be turned down
so Congress could be blamed for
'.any strikes that occur hereafter" F"
At the outset Senator Taft
analyzed the administration tax
bill which has been rejected by Con-
gress, and described it as "a proposal
made simply for political purposes
to get the vote this year. While
Secretary Morgenthau said the bill
would raise $10,500, ,O00, 900, Senator
Taft said actually it would have
produced but $500, 900 ,OO0-that the
remainder would have been COM
lpulsory savings which would in
crease the public debt"
The tax. Mr.. Taft continued, was
all to be levied on those who now
bear the greatest burden, and every
one whose annual income was under
about $4,000 was to pay less taxes. ="
The bill. which virtually has COM
pleted passage in Congress, will raise
So 500 ,000 900. the speaker explained,
which will raise the total tax bill to
$42 900 ,000,0 900. or seven times the
greatest amouOt of taxes ever levied
in this country prior to the war"
/ In his annual message a week ago,
the President called for a realistic
tax bill" but Senator Taft told his
audience to estimate the taxes YOU
have to pay on March Is before
blaming Congress for not increasing
| them
Reviews Wage, Strike Controls.
Senator Taft reviewed the history
of wase and strike control legisla-
ton and said that only over the
most strenuous administration op-
position was he able to get in the
Price Control Act of January, 1912,
directive to all Government de-
partments dealing with labor to
work toward stabilization of
prices. fair and equitable wages, and
COSI VI pIOuuCllOIl.
After Pearl Harbor, he continued.
he and Senator Ball, Republican. of
Minnesota proposed Legislation deal
ing with labor and wage controls.
but the administration blocked ac-
ton, contending that legislation was
unnecessary. Then, he continued,
the President set up the War Labor
Board, which eventually sought to
stabilize wages by applica ton of the
Little Steel" formula, limiting cost
of-living increases to Is per cent
over the level of January /, l941.
THE administration pretends to
adhere to the Little Steel formula"
Senator Taft continued. TT is and
always was completely unjust
formula because it limited increases
in wages to Is per cent, regardless
of further increases in the cost Of
living. The cost of living now has
gone up 25 per cent. The inherent
injustice of this formula has Gre
ated some public sympathy for the
coal miners and railroad workers
Furthermore, it is so unjust that
the administration has found all
sorts of hypocritical evasions to get
around it for the powerful labor
interests while adhering to it
against the little fellow who is
helpless"
Wage Freeze Opposed.
Senator Taft said that he did not
believe in the administration theory
of freezing" wages by the applica-
ton of this formula. and holding
prices by the use of subsidies.
I'm my opinion, the stresses and
strains of war are SO great that
Slight adjustments must gradually
be made" he continued. Higher
wages must sometimes be paid, as
they were paid to get men to the
shipyards and airplane factories.
This increases the wages of labor
on the farm and the cost of farm
products. The price of some prod
ucts must be raised to get larger
supply"
Such a program, Senator Taft
believed. could hold the increase in
wages and prices down to about 6
per cent year. and that, he en-
phasized, would not risk the dangers
of imitation. He expressed the
opinion that the Nation could ad-
just itself to level of prices brought
about by so per cent imitation.
On the question of national serv-
ice LEGISLATION Senator Taft said
the act proposed would give no
greater control over strikes than Is
now furnished by the Selective
Service Act.
Sees New Labor Policy Needed.
"If the President wants more
Legislation dealing with strikes, let
him submit direct measure out
laWing strikes and with his support
ho ora will he no difficulty in nnSSinp