The Wilmington morning star., 1946-06-30
Rep. Crawford (Section TO-
pars. (Q) ana tR).

4 The handspring Of this comb
nation is Senator Taft's amend
: ment. It is that amendment which
: would compel thousands OF need.
e less price increases amounting tc
: many billions of dollars. The
Wherry and Crawford amend
ments simply make sure that BE-
! fore the Taft amendment price in
-creases for the manufacturers
reach the consumer, they will be
pyramided by generous whole
salers, and retailers markups.
} The provisions Of the TAFT
amendment are complex but they
wear a superficial reasonablenesS IS.
I am sure, however, that Congress
adopted this amendment without
full appreciation of its conse-
quences.
I 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. To attempt to do
SO, however, would be like trying
to estimate the cost Of a fire about
to sweep a city before the first
building had started to burn. Even
to estimate the total amount of
all the first round of price in
creases is not now possible.
Effect On Housing
Here, however. are a few ex-
amples which would enter into
such a total.
The first impact of the Taft and
Wherry amendments in the crucial
field of housing would be little
short Of devastating. The prices OF
nearly all building materials
would be affected. The average
increase on such materials, ex-
GLIDING lumber, would be ap-
proximately 20 per cent. This
would completely disrupt the pro-
gram recently approved by the
Congress to provide veterans
housing at reasonable cost.
Ceilings for steel would have
to be raised an average of 81 to
So a ton. These increases would
in turn be reflected in the ceilings
of everything made of steel.
The average price Of low-priced
automobiles would be increased
1925 to $3.50. on top of the sub
stantial increases already grant
ed.
Household appliances, such as
washing machines and refrigera-
tors, would increase from Is to 80
PEI cent. Floor coverings would
60 up about II per cent; plumb
ing supplies, about IS per cent;
farm machinery, about Is pei
cent.
The prices of clothing-al-
ready too high-would be in
creased by an estimated aver
age of Is per cent-more than
half Of which would be attri-
butable to the Taft AND Wherry
amendments and the balance
to other amendments. This by
itself would add about three
billion dollars q year to the
living expenses Of American
families.
These are Only preliminary es-
Inmates Of a few Of the initial
price increases.
They do not take into account
the further increases, for example,
on automobiles, after steel. tires,
safety glass, and other materials
and parts have received their owr
increases.
The bill would cause some ma
jor increases in foods immediate.
ly. 1t would curtail subsidy pay.
ments so that the prices Of Ger.
tain foods "ould have to 60 up
Other foods would get immediate
increases under the Taft amend.
ment but these would 60 to pro
cessors rather than TO farmers
Like the wage Garner, the whit.
collar worker. and the millions O.
old people and others who mus
Hive On fixed incomes, the farmel
is & victim Of this bill.
This, however, does not mea,
that the country would get an.
, real protection, for long, in VITA
it costs to eat. The same thing i
true Of rents. The bill does not di
rect any immediate increases il
rents at all. But this does no
mean that rents could be effec
' lively controlled.
No "Genuine Protection"
. If l thought that this bill woul,
make possible some genuine pre-
, lection against soaring food price
and rents, / should hesitate lon
before disappearing it despit
the total impossibility of stabili,
ing the prices Of other essentia
commodities. Our economy, how
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