Evening star., 1945-04-15
1ruman's Relations
With Congress 10 Get
First Test on Tariff
By ]. 4. OLEARY.

The first major test of President
Truman's ability to work out con-
troversial issues with Congress NAV
come on the question of giving the
administration more power to lower
tariffs In the Reciprocal Trade
Agreement Act, on which House
hearings will start Wednesday.
The Reciprocal Trade Agreement
Act, one of several important laws
that must be re-enacted by June,
reopenS one of the oldest fights be-
tween Democrats and Republicans,
namely, the relative value of high or
low tariffs to American industry.
The fact that Mr.. Truman enters
the White House fresh from 10
years of service in the Senate has
given rise to general feeling that
he will get along with the lawmak-
ing branch. Some Capitol observ-
ers believe the tariff fight will fur
nish the first demonstration of how
this impression will work out in
practice. 1t should reveal whether
the new President will seek to COM
promise differences in the interest
of harmony, or fight them out and
let the voters pass on the record
Of each party in the 1916 congress
sional elections.
Hun's Program Upheld.
Since 1884 Congress has gone along
with the administration on former
Secretary of State Hulls reciprocal
trade program, under which discre-
ton has been conferred on the ad-
ministration to- reduce tariff rates by
so per cent to countries that were
willing to grant similar concessions
to American exports
Informed sources believe a mere
renewal of the present law would
go through without great difficulty, .
but in one of his last messages to
Congress, President Roosevelt urged
revision of the law to give the exec
utive branch more leeway in adjust
ing rates. (
Under the proposal the House
Ways and Means Committee is about
to take up. rates that have been
cut so per cent under the old law
could be lowered another 25 per
cent. There also is expected to be
dispute over extending the act for
as long AS three years.
Republicans Oppose Change.
The Republicans were quick to
rally their forces against these
changes. The Republican argu-
ment is that low tariffs deprive the
American worker of protection
against lower wages and living
standards in other countries The I
Democratic doctrine. as outlined in
Mr.. ROoSevelt's message on March
26, is that trade is as fundamental
to the prosperity of nations as to
individuals If the barriers to in
ternational trade are coming down |
around the world after the war, '
will direct production
to the things that look most
promising under those conditions.
the late President argued
While the House committee is
laying the groundwork for this {
tariff fight in the forthcoming
hearings. the Senate will be wres-
tling with two other laws that eX-
pire soon: the Selective Service Act
which must be renewed before May
IS if military inductions are to con-
tinue, and the Price Control Act.
which expires June 30.
The draft law extension has
passed the House and is on the
Senate calendar, along with the
To hill 70 ,,-Ii nj,
the House also has approved Both
are caught behind the Mexican
water treaty. but there is some
reason to hope the treaty may be
disposed of by Tuesday.
OPA to Face Amendments
A Senate Banking subcommittee a.,
Is que TO meet this week on the bill
to keep OPA alive after June 30.
but when it reaches the Senate ,
floor it may encounter amend -,
mentS designed to increase the flow ',
Of live cattle from the Western
ranges into the slaughter houses +
to relieve the meat shortage
Another tough legislative battle {
that viii test President Truman's t
W
is developing in the background. {
1t concerns the Breton Woods i'll ,
ternat!onal monetary agreement, ,
which still awaits action in both
the House and Senate.
The fact that the Senate recently
re jectcd a compulsory civilian man.
power control bill. is believed to l
have weakened the chances of
passing the nurses draft law, and !
there are even some reports that /
If the European phase of the war q
ends soon, there may be difficulty
in extending the Selective Service I
Act beyond May Is. Such a de-
would at least strengthen /
the chance of passage of amend S
ments to lengthen the period of
training of teen-age inductees.
Western Front j