Evening star., 1947-12-19
Economic
Continued From First Page. J

-Ol washington, murray OF montana,
O,Daniel of Texas and Thomas of
Utah.
Based primarily on voluntary
action to halt inflationary price
rises, the Taft bill would:
l. Permit the President to consult
with industry, business and agricul-
ture representatives to encourage
agreements to keep prices in line.
The agreements could provide for
parceling out scarce commodities
among the various users, for regu-
lation of speculative trading, for
controls over inventories, that is
the amount of materials on hand,
and for the ALLEGATION of transpor-
tation facilities, such as box cars.
The agreements could not, how
ever, provide for price fixing.
They would remain in effect until
March /, 1949, when the proposed
law would expire and would be ex-
empt from the antitrust laws when
approved by the President through
the Justice Department.
2. Extend until February %, 1949,
the Presidents power to control ex-
ports.
3. Continue until the same date
controls over rail transportation IA
cilities.
Both of these controls now are
due to lapse next February 20.
4. Set up food conservation
program in this country and a pro-
gram to promote food and livestock
feed production in non-European
countries, both to be voluntary.
S. Request, but not direct, the
President to submit to Congress a
detailed program to parcel out cost
of-living items when they reach
the critical shortage" stage, with
Congress to act on the program, one
way or the other, within Is days.
6. Restore the Presidents war
time authority to restrict the use
Of grain in liquor production.
Truman Asked Powers.
The export control and boxcar
ALLEGATION powers were requested
specifically by the President in his
message to Congress when it con-
vened November IT.
But the Senate, disregarded his
plea for power to invoke rationing
and price control at consumer levels,
If necessary, and Democrats fought
In vain to add these and other Tru-
man-proposed powers to the Taft
bill
Minority Leader Barkley sparked
the losing fight to give the Presi-
dent legal authority to allocate
scarce commodities and to give Con-
greSs veto power over industrial
agreements. Senator Barkley also
failed to knock from the bill the
section allowing voluntary alloca-
ton agreements.
The section waving antitrust laws
for approved industry agreements
that do not fix prices was assailed
by Senator Morse, who called for
compulsory legislation that is going
to stop imitation"
Sees Political Buck Passed.
At his news conference later In
the day, Mr.. Truman indirectly
agreed with Senator Morse that the
bill amounted to passing the po-
litical buck to the President"
Mr.. Truman told questioner
who brought up the remark that he
thought the matter was well covered
by Senator Morse.
AS the Senate wrangled over the
bill, the House approached the
high-price problem from another
angle. 1t directed its Public Works
Committee to investigate "conspira-
torial practices which seriously un-
dermine and threaten the national
economy"
Chairman Dondero told hewsmen
we're going to look into the whole
picture of conspiratorial and other
questionable practices and find out
the extent of their pressure on sky
rocketing prices generally"
He said major targets of the in
quiry will be the lumber, steel. plum
bing and automobile industries.