Evening star., 1947-09-20
Taft Speech 10 Force
6. 0. P. 10 Use Prices
As Campaign Issue
Cost Of Farm Products
Seen Notable Omission
In Controversial Talk
Bv Doris Fleeson

SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, Sept. 10.
With his price speech here, Sena-
tor Taft put an impress on the 1s4s
presidential campaign that can
hardly be removed though it may
conceivably be altered.
Mr.. Taft has boldly seized on
prices as the issue in 1948. He has
not waited for the Republicans to
decide that this is so. He simply
drags the issue into the arena and
goes to work on it. His presentation
is so exhaustive and forceful that
there is little left for other candi-
dates and the party to do but follow.
Taking care of the partisan aspect
first, ne waded into the Democrats,
Mr.. Roosevelt, Mr.. Truman, the CIO,
the New Dealers, with an indictment
only possible to a well-organized
mind having Mr.. Taft's long back
ground Of hard Senate work. The
charges will be repeated many times
during the coming year; they can
add little to Mr.. Taft's outline.
But Senator Taft characteristically
accepts also his full responsibilities
as the most influential Republican
leader in Congress on domestic af-
fairs. With the nominating conven-
tion still year away he puts his
goods in the showcase Come one,
come all-this is what Senator Taft
thinks ought to be done, which is the
equivalent of saying that he will try
to do it. Judging by the past record
he ought to come close.
Packed With Specially.
The speech is packed with that
Taft specially: Controversy. Presi-
dent Truman and the Democrats
naturally view past history in a diff
ferent light. The country will have
something to sag about the Taft con-
clusions, such as accepting the pre-
mise that we must have price level
so to so per cent above prewar and
that wage increases must be dis
couraged.
There is at least one notable omis-
sion in Mr.. Taft's discussion on the
high prices paid farmers. In his
closing remarks on the general
problem of maintaining prosperity
and preventing depressions he says
the farm price VS.. industrial price
problem is very difficult and it is
being studied. Few politicians, how
ever, talk tough to farmers.
Senator Taft does not regard him
self as a diehard conservative. He
thinks he is moderate and on this
journey he has this week stressed
that the true liberals" are the Re
publicans with their support of free
enterprise unhampered by Federal
controls.
Why he tries to be moderate, he
told the Commonwealth Club: "I
have felt that unless under our sys-
tenn we can prevent the kind of
hardship and suffering of the '30s,
the people might take the position
that, regardless of ultimate bene-
Ats, they would try some system
which did not have to reach its
goal through periods of heavy un-
employment"
This would appear to remove him
from the ranks of the Bourbons
at least.
Collects, Dusts Off Questions.
While Senator Taft spoke, pickets,
as usual, were attempting to DEM
onstrate their belief that the Taft
Hartley law which Mr.. Taft has now
dismissed from the '48 picture is
still an issue.
There is something almost sub
lime in the way Senator Taft COL
lects, arranges and allocates these
great questions. Last year, he took
the Craftsmanship of education and
labor away from the liberal George
Aiken and got himself labor bill.
That, he said, was what was needed.
Now, within a week, he has busted
his hands of that one-twas done
and done well-and it's prices.
Last year he also was chairman
of the Joint Committee on the Eco
nomic Report. as he boasted today
and the committee did absolutely
nothing The Democrats tried to
spur 1t on but Senator Taft said
he had to do labor Now apparently
he intends to make a great thing
Of the economic committee-in '48
1t is to be the issue.
Developments of this sort are
what give his foes and even SYM
pathetic observers the feeling that
Senator Taft gets there late.
(Released by The Bell Syndicate, Inc)