Evening star., 1946-06-30
President Appeal:
In Broadcast for
War on Initiation
(TeIt on Page A-2.)
By Joseph A. Fox

T. President Truman last night
urged American business to hold
y the line on prices voluntarily un-
til statutory controls can be re-
established.
With the OPA dying tonight at
midnight as the result of the
Presidents blstering veto of ex-
tension legislation he condemned
as "a sure formula for imitation, ,
Mr.. Truman went on the air to ex-
plain his course, and to express his
conviction that patriotism and
good sense" will preserve price sta
bilization until Congress has had
another opportunity to provide the
legislation he seeks.
Il cali upon every businessman
:, every producer and every landlord
TO adhere to existing regulations
even though for a short period they
may not have the effect of law, ;
Mr.. Truman said.
Appeals to People.
At the same time, in a direct ap.
peal to the people themselves, tht
Chief Executive declared your de.
termination to retain price controls
and so prevent imitation must be
: made known to the Congress"
, The will of the people is still tn.
supreme law of our land" the
President asserted in passage
reminiscent of his radio speech ir
January asking for help on his
stymied legislative program.
Mr.. Truman also informed hi.
listeners that the present shortage
OF various commodities had beer
brought to the attention of the At.
\ torney General, who has been in
4structed ito determine whether any
one is criminally responsible fol
them and to place the responsibility
where it belongs"
Veto Message Condensed.
The Presidents speech, carried
over the major networks, was largely
a condensation of the veto message
which he hurled at Congress yester-
day with demand for a continuing
resolution to permit OPA to carry
on as at present, until a new law,
whose framework he outlined, could
be enacted for the next year.
AS IN the veto message, his prin-
cipal fire last night was directed at
amendments sponsored by Senators
Taft, of Ohio, and Wherry, of Ne
braska, and Representative Craw-
ford, OF Michigan, all Republicans
and he singled out the Taft pro-
posal for particular castigation.
Under this amendment" he said
there would be thousands of need
less price increases amounting to
many billions of dollars. The Taft
amendment provides that the manu-
facturer shall receive for each arti-
Gle the profit which he made or
that article in 194l and that he may
add to the 1941 selling price all in.
creases in cost which have occurred
since that time. In 1941 the manu-.
facturer received a much greater
profit out of each dollar of sales
than at any time in the five preced
ing years or in any of the five fol.
lowing wartime years. In fact
profit margins in 1941 were 50 PEI
cent greater than in the banner
year 1929.
Volume of sales is much greater
today than in 1941, so that manu-.
facturers would have received 6
bonanza. In addition, Senator
Taft's fellow Republicans, Senator
Wherry and Representative Craw-
ford, put amendments into the bill
which made sure that not only
would the manufacturers price in.
creases be borne by the public but
that such increases would be pyra.
mided by generous wholesalers ane
retailers mark-ups"
Citing a few examples the Presi.
dent quoted the dollar and cents
effect Of the amendments on hous.
ing, low-priced automobiles, cloth
ing and farm machinery, and the
spiraling effect these would hav'
elsewhere.
Asserting that the "only possible
justification" for these boosts /
that they would spur production
the Chief Executive said that still
would be a terrific price" to pay.
THE fact Is, however" MI
Truman continued, that produc
ton would not be stimulated by tn
Taft amendment. but would b
(See TRUMAN, Page A-5D