The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-07-08
Senate Poised for OPA Battle
 Bill Faces Rough Tilt
 Opponents Charge
 Pressure Tactics
 By Both Sides

by porn SloeS
 Washington, July S-(UP) Administration leaders m Congress told President Tru- man today they hoped to ob. tain passage of OPA legisla- ton that will be satisfactory to him.
 The legislative ''big four" conferred with MT. Truman shortly before the pay-off bat tie on OPA was to open in the Senate.
 Senate Majority Leader Alben w. Barkley, Ky, said MT. Truman had assured them he believed they were exerting their best efforts to pass satisfactory OPA bill to replace the one the President vetoed.
 We told him We hoped we would get a bill he could approve" Bark. ley said Both Sides Use Pressure
 Others at the conference were Senate President Kenneth McKel- lar, Tenn, House Speaker Sam Ray- burn, Tex, and House Majority Leader John w. Mccormack, Mass.
 The Senate fight resumed amid charges that both opponents and supporters of price control were us- ing pressure tactics.
 The bill faced rough going with the bitterest battle over proposals to exempt meat, poultry and dairy products from any new price con- tori.
 Raps Fright Drive
 Sen. Joseph H. Ball, (R.-Mnn.1 charged OPA officials with vicious propaganda drive based on soaring the public" The OPA, he said, has been warning of imitation with the sole purpose of marshalling public opinion to influence Congress.
 Sen. James E. Murray, (D.- -Mont.l asked both sides in the O.P.A. fight to abandon pressure tactics" and decide the price question with facts and figures"
 Business men are making big
 profits and want more" he said,
 charging that it was hypocrisy to
 claim that O.P.A. threatened free
 enterprise.
 Three Factors In Doubt Although Senate Democratic , Leader Alben W. Barkley, Ky, ex-
 pressed hope that satisfactory measure could be sent to the White , House this week, the Senate faced l major conflicts over: l. The meat poultry dairy
 products exemption, sponsored
 by Sen Keneth S. Wherry, (R.- Neb), Wherry claimed bi-parti- ] san support promised his amend ! ment "a good chance" of pas- sage, and expressed belief that v adequate meat supplies were r flowing to markets at ''ridicu-
 lously low prices considering the fact that O.P.A. was chopped off . at moments notice" . ?. A move by Sen. Robert A. y Taft, R.-O), to allow producers , their July Ills, 1940, profits plus
 increased production costs since
 then. This was a compromise
 version of the Oct. Ills, 1941. base pricing period that would have been established in the O.PA. extension bill vetoed by President Truman. The Presi-
 dent called the earlier plan most damaging $ g. The threat of Sen. w. Lee ODaniel, D.-Tex), to conduct one-man filibuSter against the Il measure.
 . . Watch Price Levels
 Other proposals seeking to keep 0 controls off such items oS petroleum, tobacco, timber and cotton were not Q expected to develop major battles. Chairman Robert F. Wagner, (D.- Q N. Y0, of the Senate Banking Com- k mittee told reporters he believed MT. e Truman will sign the new O.P.A. bill Il if it does not contain the latest Taft C pricing amendment or leave controls
 off meat, poultry and dairy products
 Senators watched prices on items
 ranging from cattle to shirts to see = just what one week of no price con- '' trol has meant.
 7, Sens. Styles H. Bridges. (.-N. H.), ~ Elmer Thomas, (D.-Okla.), and n Wherry saw no runaway prices and s felt this indicated that the nation N can do without OPA. Is Porter To Testify
 But O.P.A. Chief Paul Porter j. warned that very. very grave" pricl 1t rises have been recorded since con- ,r trols expired.
 o Bridges told reporters he will ob- II ject to Senate consideration of {
 proposed S10l, ,605 ,0O0 appropriation Il for O.P.A. for this fiscal year. d A Senate Appropriations Subcom- ,- mittee is scheduled to hear Porter J. on the appropriation later today Il and Bridges said he would object tc d receiving Porter's testimony as thai IS coming from the head of the y agency that legally doesn't exist"