Evening star., 1946-07-02
Trumun's S OPA Course
Called IndefensibIe
Veto Has Won Him No Support
in Legislative Branch
By David Laurence


in Legislative Branch
BY David Laurence
President Truman's action in venting
his resentment against Congress by
furnishing the American people has not
won him any increase in support in the
legislative branch Of the Government.
The Presidents message has not
changed many viewpoints on Capitol
Hill. Even among supporters of Mr..
Truman's views on price control are
many who believe he was poorly ad-
vised In the tactics he used 1t is
pointed out that the compromise bill
passed by Congress, bad as 1t might
have seemed from the Presidents stand
point, was still far better than plunging
the Nation into confusion and trying
to get some legislative remedy over
night while decontrol acquired natural
momentum.
The bill was to be sure, a compl-
Gated affair, but this In a sense was its
advantage. 1t was cumbersome enough
to slow up any price increases Of con-
sequence, and even the much debated
Taft amendment would have taken
quite a long time to operate, during
which period the change to a better
system or the adjustment of the national
economy to the abandonment of price
controls might have been worked out.
The Presidents course is indefensble.
Applause From CIO-PAC.
Mr. Truman can get plenty of ap-
plause from CIO-PAC followers, who
are flooding the White House with
mail and kilograms just as they did
Congress. But this sort of organized
pressure does not deceive anybody, least
Of all members of both houses, who have
been listening for months to the stories
Of retarded or abandoned production
due to OPA nismanagement of the
price problem.
Members of Congress are not happy
over what the President has done. Re-
publicans who sincerely want rent con-
troll and gradual easing OF all price
controls call the Presidents act a reck-
less adventure which cannot but shake
the confidence of the country In the
man in the White House Democrats
generally do not like the arbitrary way
Mr.. Truman has disregarded the advice
of the leaders of his own party. Ger
tainly in the coming campaign Demo-
Gratis will be embarrassed by Mr.. Tru-
mans deviation from party solidarity.
Why did Mr.. Truman choose the
course of chaos instead Of transition
by means of the compromise bill? This
question is being asked almost as often
as any other-and there are many
queries as to what is going to happen
in the way of new legislation The only
answer that seems plausible is that Mr.
Truman has decided to cast his lot with
the left wingers" who through the
CIO-PAC, think they have a political
instrument with which to win elections
| for him which Is more effective than
the Democratic party itself.
/ The President has been yielding to
the CIO-PAC arguments right along,
and the veto OF the OPA bill was, Of
course a policy vigorously pressed by
|, the left wing" Their idea Is that If
business can be punished and profit
margins can be cut, and economic chaos
results, the way will be opened for
socialistic experiments in nationaliza-
ton of industries and Government con-
trolls of all business.
Controlled Economy Idea.
The chief dificulty with the OPA
was that it set itself up as Judge of
~ ~ H. 1<SA
to the Treasury Department to control
through uniformly applied tax rates.
But the OPA decided how much profit
was adequate as well as what price
should be charged Such control can
be defended during wartime, but it is
not the way to bring back a normal
| production and distribution of goods
nor is 1t the way to kill off black mar
| kets.
Deeply imbedded in the present
controversy is the theological concept
| of controlled economy Mr. Truman
has gone over to that side of the con-
troversy and he has the backing of the
labor union leaders, who have nothing
to fear as long as the man in the White
|
to wage rates.
Mr.. Truman has increased prices by
sanctioning heavy increases in wage
costs and now, when producers want
their costs covered, he refuses to let
their costs or their profits come to the
natural levels which follow when the
public makes the prices. The Govern
ment has made a fizzle Of price fixing
Industry and business left to themselves
could do no worse.
In the case of housing. however
which is acutely short--a simple meas
ure Of control can be passed by both
houses Of Congress overnight If Pres
| ident Truman will let Congress act.
But he will seek through his supporters
on Capitol Hill to get his original OPA
proposals tackled onto such legislation
as an amendment. This merely pro.
longs the controversy
Mr.. Truman has been defeated by
| Congress, and the legislation he will
| eventually get will be no better than
that which he vetoed. But, in addition.
the American people will suffer from
the confusion which has been forced
upon them by the recklessness of their
President. Meanwhile. prices will rise
and no legislation will really disen-
| tangle the web woven by Mr.. Truman's
colossal mistake.
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