Evening star., 1946-07-20
|0PA Substitute
Plan Offered by
Senate Group
30-Doy Trial Period
Without Controls Is
Suggested by Conferees
BULLETIN

oenate con1ereeS To-Day pro-
posed an OPA revival bill COM
promise under which price
controls would remain off ma
jor food items for 80 days, but
be restored then unless a
three-man board found they
were not needed. Senator
Radcliffe, Democrat, of Mary
land, who disclosed the pro-
posal, said House members
did not indicate Immediately
whether they would accept
such a compromise. Under
such an agreement. there
would be no price ceilings on
major items, like meat, poul-
try, eggs, dairy products and
wheat, for 80 days after the
bill had become law.
Later it was reported that
there were signs the conferees
might reach an agreement to-
day on the compromise bill.
By the A.soeioted Pres.
The OPA entered the life-or-
death stage on CAPITOL Hill today
With Congress deadlocked, it be-
came certain the Nation will star,
out on fourth week of uncontrolled
prices and with no one knowing in
what form, if any, OPA might be
revived.
House and Senate conferees seek
ing a compromise Stalemated as
House members refused steadfastly
to accept Senate bans against any
further price ceilings on milk, meat
eggs and other basic foods.
Senate Majority Leader Barkle5
called the conferees to one more
meeting today.
Pricing Formula Big Issue.
If this fails, the OPA will be
thrown open again in a House floor
battle over whether to approve the
Senate bill. President Truman, in
dicating veto, has described the
Senate measure as terrible"
The conferees, after four days
of wrangling. were tied in knots
on the question of allowing OPA
certain discretionary power in rails
ing prices on manufactured articles
as prescribed by a new pricing for
mula in the Senate bill.
Senator Barkley refused to give
up hope, saying, There is a haze
over the horizon that looks like q
glimmer of light"
One Republican member of the
closed-door conference said privately
administration forces are fighting
for a compromise, rather than risk
the possibility that the House woulc
approve the Senate bill.
Operating Funds SIashed.
Meanwhile, Congress-just in case
OPA is restored-voted to cut $31.-
100000 from OPA operating funds
and to ban use of any of the money
for propaganda in support of price
control" The agency appropriation
was put at s75,000,000 instead OF
S106, ,0OO, 900.
The effort to compromise the issue
of food price ceilings pivoted on a
proposal to create a three-man
board, with higher authority thar
OPA, which would restore such con
trols. if:
l. the price of food item has
risen unreasonably above the ceiling
price in effect June 30. plus the
amount per unit of any subsidy paid
prior to June 30.
2. The commodity concerned is in
short supply and recontrol is "prac-
ticable and. enforceable.
3. The public interest will be serv-
ed by such recontrol.
There was some talk of possible
agreement on giving the Civilian
Production Administration this re-
control authority, with some re-
visions in the standards for re-
control.
Porter is Pessimistic.
OPA Administrator Porter said
today that even if price controls are
restored perhaps some of the dam
age of the last three weeks can't be
repaired"
Mr.. Porter declared in radio ad.
dress that while OPA is hard al
work on plans to recover some of the
ground that has been lost $ = ever
with the best of tprice controD bills
it isn't going to be an easy job put.
ting the eggs back in the basket
Mr.. Porter's doubt about whether
ground lost" can be recovered
raised the question whether he still
feels that all June 30 price ceilings
can be re-established if controls are
revived.
Mr.. Porter disclosed that if they
are revived, "OPA expects to bt
ready with an important list o.
items that can be taken out from
under controls"