Evening star., 1947-12-19
Taft Initiation Bill
Voted by House:
Under Gag Rule
Ballot Is 281 to 70;
Unchanged Measure
Goes to President
BULLETIN

0SIIL
The House today passed and
sent to President Truman
without change the Senate
approved Republican anti-in-
f1ation bill. The final vote was
281 to 70.
Congressional approval of the
Republican anti-inflation bill by
nlghtfall was virtually assured
today when the House voted to
consider the Senate-approved
measure Immediately under pro-
cedure restricting amendments
and limiting debate to one hour.
Meeting two hours earlier than
usual, the House adopted the gag
rule by vote of 203 to 143. The vote
followed party lines, with only four
Republicans deserting the party to
line up with the Democrats against
the rule. They were Representatives
Lemke of North Dakota, OKonski of
Wisconsin, Smith of Ohio, and
Stockman of Oregon.
Under the procedure adopted. the
only amendments allowed will be
those backed by the Banking Com
mittee, which has no amendments
to offer.
Democrats Outnumbered.
Democrats were given the oppor-
tunity OF trying to alter the bill
through motion to recommit it..
While they planned to try to tack on
some amendments similar to those
batted down yesterday when the
Senate approved the bill, II to 10,
they conceded privately that they
were outnumbered and that the bill
would be passed before Congress ad-
journs tonight until January 6.
It was evident from debate on the
rule that passage of the measure is
a foregone conclusion since only a
majority approval was required.
The Wolcott bill. containing three
Of the measures in the Senate ver-
sion sponsored by Senator Taft of
Ohio, was turned down on Monday
by the House when it failed to win
two-thirds vote necessary under
a stricter gag rule.
Democrats and Republicans alike
devoted preliminary discussion to
politics until Representative Smith,
Democrat, of Virginia reminded
them that the country expects Con-
gress to do something effective about
the cost of living.
"We should declare a moratorium
on politics for a week or 10 days."
the Virginian said, "and sit down
here just as good Americans"
Sees Little in Taft Bill.
Mr.. Smith called the Taft bill
"a piece of shadow boxing" that
doesn't do anything" He said "the
profit motive is too deeply in
grained" to expect to submerge it
with "frothy talk"
Chairman Allen of the Rules
Committee defended the gag" pro-
cedure and recalled that Democrats,
when they ran the House. resorted
to it on numerous occasions.
Both Mr. Allen and Majority
Leader Halleck claimed that only
under such procedure could legisla-
ton be enacted at this session of
Congress.
1T is this or nothing" Mr.. Hal
leck said.
Containing several of the less
controversial phases of President
Truman's l0-point fight-inflation
program, but lacking any authority
to reimpose consumer rationing or
price and wage controls, the bill
was snatched from oblivion in the
Senate yesterday by some of the
fastest legislative footwork in years.
Thirty-two Senate Democrats
voted for the bill after having failed
in their drive to amend it to fol-
low more closely along the lines of
Mr.. Truman's program.
Republicans who voted against
the bill were Senators LANCER of
North Dakota, Morse of Oregon and
Wilson of Iowa. They were Joined
by three Democrats. Senators Cha
vez of New Mexico, Connally of
Texas, Hill of Alabama, Magnuson
(See ECONOMIC. Page A-I2)