Evening star., 1945-06-10
Administration Aides
Fight Against Changes
In 0PA, Trade Acts
By ]. A, O'LEARY.


Administration supporter we're
hard at work last night to save
two major laws-the Price Con-
troll Act and the Reciprocal Trade
Agreement Act-from the threat
of drastic revision in the Senate
this week. &:
With the first showdown due to-
morrow on the extension of OPA
beyond June 80, -. friends of the
agency in the Senate were reported
to be considering the advisability OF
offering new amendment dealing
with the method of pricing sheep,
hog and cattle products, as a sub
stitute for opposition amendments
they fear would upset the whole
price-control structure.
One of the opposition amend
ments, sponsored by Senator Thom-
as, Democrat, of Oklahoma, is in
tended to insure a reasonable profit
to individual professors of any ag-
ricultural commodity. Senator Taft,
Republican, of ohio, has COM
parable amendment applying to the
professor, manufacturer or miner
of any agricultural product.
May Combine Amendments.
Some of the critics of present OPA
pricing methods were trying to de-
termine yesterday whether they
would stand better chance OF
combining the Thomas and Taft
amendments than If they are voted
on separately Opinions differed
as to the probable effect of COM
binstion. In some quarters it was
thought the agricultural amendment
would be stronger alone.
Although Senate Republicans held
= caucus yesterday to go over the
situation both as to OPA and fu-
ture foreign trade policy, the close
division in the Senate on both is
sues is more a sectional than a
party alignment. On each issue
there will be defections from both
sides of the party aisle.
While the Republicans took no
group action, most of them are
expected to vote for revision OF OPA
ice-fixing rules and for the elm
nation of further tariff cutting
power in the foreign-trade program.
Administration Optimistic.
Administration lieutenants were
optimistic over their chances of re-
gaining the ground they lost Fri
day in the enlargement fight,
when the Finance Committee
knocked the new tariff cutting
power from that bill by l0-to-9
decision.
They were less certain Of their
ability to head of the Thomas
amendment to the price-control bill. |
One Democratic supporter of OPA's
present pricing system and two Re-
publican Senators hinted at the
possibility that some compromise
might be put forward tomorrow to
head of the amendment
Supporters of OPA express fear
that the Thomas and Taft amend
ments would lead to breakdown
of price control; Backers Of the
amendments argue that reasonable
profits for individual professors are
essential to get the needed produc-
ton of agricultural products, and
that, similarly, the reconversion of
industry to peacetime production
will be retarded unless individual
manufacturers can count on rea-
sonable profit.
House Holding Hearings.
If the OPA fight is settled tomor-
row, Chairman George of the
Finance Committee will call up the
trade agreement extension bill Tues
day. Meanwhile, the OPA contro-
versy will move into the House
Banking Committee, which still is
holding hearings on the subject.
The Senate battle over future
foreign trade policy will continue
for the rest of the week, with Sem
ator George leading the fight to re-
store the House provision. author
izins the President to cut import
duties so per cent below the 1915
levels as an inducement to obtain
foreign markets for American goods
in the postwar period.
AS the bill came from the Finance
Committee it is merely three-year
extension of the Presidents existing
power to cut the 1880 tariff rates by
so per cent. While some rates have
not been changed and others re-
duced less than so per cent under
the present law, the administration
contends that existing bargaining
power has been used up in the trade
agreements with Americas best
foreign customers, and that without
broader cutting power further ex-
pansion of the agreements will not
be possible.
Senate leaders also have decided
to try to pass the Breton Woods
world monetary agreement before
Congress takes a summer recess next
month. The Senate Banking Com
mittee will start hearings Tuesday
morning on that measure, which
passed the House overwhelmingly
several days ago.
W>-LL