Evening star., 1947-12-01
Hartman Asks Price
And Pay Brakes Now,
Not Big JOLT Later
By the Associated Press

Secretary OF Commerce Harrl-
man told Congress today a gen.
eral freeze of prices and wages
might be necessary in the future
unless authority is granted now
for selective price and wage con-
trolls and rationing.
Renewing the administrations
plea for Standby" power to put on
economic controls, Secretary Harri-
man told the House Banking Com
mittee:
Adequate advance preparation
makes for fairness. I believe that
it is advisable to start developing a
program now rather than to risk the
need of hasty action later when the
only feasible course might be to
put on the brakes by some type of
general freeze on prices and wages
and then to proceed to correct the
individual inequities as rapidly as
possible"
1t was the third appearance OF
Secretary Hartman before a con-
gressional committee in support OF
the 1O-point program President
Truman laid before Congress as the
weapons he needs to combat 1nf1a-
ton.
Chapman Is Sick.
Undersecretary of the Interior
Chapman was scheduled as,a witness
before the Senate-House Economic
committee to testify on the program,
but was i'll and the committee cam
celed its hearings for the day.
Members said that because of the
weekend cold wave they had been
particularly anxious to question Mr..
Chapman about proposed controls
over coal, oil and gasoline.
Secretary Hartman told the House
committee that great deal might
be accomplished by voluntary pro-
grams, but that such efforts can be
undermined by q thoughtless or
selfish minority
II feel, therefore" he said, that
the power to impose limited direct
control of prices and wages and to
institute consumer rationing on q
few items should be granted now If
we are to make every effort to keep
the price of vital cost-of living COM
modities within the reach OF the
average purse and to prevent an
intiationary spiral, which will hurt
all groups in our economy
Would Use Selection.
Mr.. Hartman emphasized that he
did not propose a mammoth new
OPA. He gave his idea of controls
as follows:
I'm the first place, I believe that
it is possible now to proceed on a
selected basis, and to limit controls
to those items which the average
family needs to live, such as food,
fuel, clothing and shelter, and to
those key areas in industrial produc-
ton where a price rise would have
ramified effects on the general level
Of prices
AS for wages. he said he hoped it
would not be necessary to use con-
trolls, and believed it would not be if
the cost of living can be brought
and held in reasonable relationship
to the incomes OF the people"
Chairman White of the Senate
Commerce Committee named Sen
ator Tobey, Republican, of New
Hampshire as head of a subcom-
mittee to study the shortage of oil
and coal in New England" Others
chosen are Senators Hawkes., Re-
publican, of New Jersey; Moore, Re.
publican. of Oklahoma; Mcmahon
Republican; of Connecticut and Ny
ers, Democrat, of Pennsylvania
Senator White said he wanted the
group to look into what can be
done about it,"
Republican congressional leaders
generally have given a chilly recep-
ton to the price control and ration
ing aspects of the Presidents pro-
gram.
McGrath Discards Speech.
However, Senator McGrath. Rhode
Island, chairman of the Democratic
National Committee, discarded 9
speech yesterday in which he first
set out to criticize the majority party
for what he termed its failure tt
consider the Presidents program
on a "non-partisan" basis.
The criticism was contained in 9
text prepared fora Democratic rally
at Bangor, Me. Senator McGratf
abandoned this in favor of an i'm.
! LOST.