Evening star., 1946-06-29
0PA Measure Vetoed;
President Demands
Effective Law Now
Continued From First Page J

the bill offers nothing else but "a
choice between imitation with a.
statute and imitation without one."I
Asking Congress to "act and act
now" on the passage of effective
legislation, Mr.. Truman specified
that in addition to providing for
extension of the stabilization laws
for a full year the bill should have
these other major provisions:
The bill should authorize contin-
uance of stabilization subsidies on
scale sufficient to avoid. serious
food price increases within the next
six months and to permit orderly
termination of subsidies in the first
half of 1947. At least SLIPS 600, 900
was set out as the minimum nee
eSsary for this.
The bill should lay down a Con-
gressional policy with respect to the
termination of price controls and
subsidies. Parenthetically, the Pres
1dent said he would not oppose the
formulation of standards for the
decontrol of particular commodities
or for the establishment of an in
dependent price decontrol board to
review applications if it was made
sure that ceilings would not have to
be limited where serious price
raises would result.
Says People Want Control.
The fourth point was the adjust
ment of product prices to make
possible the maximum total pro-
duction.
The great majority of the Amer
lean people want an effective price
control law. They are entitled to
have 1t. Under such a law, we can
win the war against imitation just as
declSlvely as we won the war against
the Axis the President said.
The Chief Executive added that
the present law would wreck the
Wage Sterilization Board and he
also rebuked Congress for delaying
flnal passage so long, saying that as
early as September 6, 1945, he had
urged action.
All of us who must play part in
the decision of this issue face a
solemn responsibility" the President
said. We stand at an historic
moment. Our actions will be Judged
by the American people and judged
again by history"
The message was addressed to the
House and the President started
with the assertion that the bill
sponsibility to stabilize the economy
and at the same time destroys the
Governments power to do So"
No Protection in Bill.
IF this bill were allowed to be-
come law, the American people would
believe that they were protected by
a workable price control law" the
President said. But they would
not be protected and they would
soon come to a bitter realization of
that truth. 1t is only fair to tell
them the fact now"
Blasting away at the legislation.
which he said would skyrocket costs
and depress the dollar, Mr.. Truman
declared that lin the end this bill
would lead to disaster"
The President said his "funda-
mental objection to the bill is to
the numerous amendments which
would raise the price of essential
cost of living commodities
He added that the most damaging
1st the price-raising amendment
for manufacturers introduced by
Senator Taft, Republican, of Ohio.
operating in conjunction with the
revised price-raising amendment for
distributors introduced by Senator
Wherry. Republican, of Nebraska
and with special cost-pluS amend
ments for automobile and appliance
dealers which was sponsored by
Representative Crawford, Republi-
cam of Michigan.
Taft Amendment "Mainspring."
THE handspring of this combina-
ton," the President continued, lis
Senator Taft's amendment" He
added that L wish it were possible
to tell you exactly how many billions
Of dollars the American people
would eventually have to pay for
the Taft amendment and its COM
panion pieces
Bitingly, the President amplified
this would be like trying to esti-
mate the cost of a fire about tc
sweep the city before the first
building has started to burn
The amendments to which the
President objected prohibit reduction
OF prewar profit margins on whole
salers and retailers on "reconver-