Evening star., 1947-02-19
President Urges
Repeal Of More
Wartime Laws
Action of Congress
On "a Emergency
Controls Sought
BY Joseph A. Fox

wartime legislative controls BY
asking Congress today to repea
"a statutes effective under the
emergency proclamatioAs of 1885
and 1941.
He also directed the heads of ex.
ecutive departments and agencies
to discontinue not later than March
Is the exercise of powers under 81
laws which come into play wher
emergencies are declared.
1t was the third step that the
President had taken to do away
with wartime statutory restrictions
Several weeks ago he fixed the ter
minal date of one group by declar-
ing that hostilities should be con.
sidered ceased.
Later he asked for limited exten.
sion of the Second War Powers Acr
which will leave only a skeleton o.
that law-including rationing laws
in effect after June 80.
Dollar Year Men Affected.
Many of the laws affected by to.
days program have only limited
application, but the President callec
specifically for repeal of the statute
authorizing employment of dollar.
a-year men and the statute per.
mitting Government employees tt
accumulate as much as 80 day.
annual leave.
He also proposed immediate re-
peal of laws authorizing the leasing
of merchant ships to other nations
the tax-free withdrawal of alcoho
for industrial use: the lease of pub.
lie lands for munitions manufac-
ture, and the appointment of en-.
listed men to the Naval Academy.
Among the major statutes which
would be allowed to lapse on ar
end of emergency proclamation
would be:
The Army's "streamlined" pro-
curement power under which sup.
plies can be purchased without ad.
vertising for bids: the power tt
transfer the Coast Guard to the
Navy; to increase the authorized
strength of the Navy, and to initiate
measures to increase the marke
quotas of corn, wheat, cotton, rice
tobacco or peanuts.
Statutes Urged for Extension.
Mr.. Truman said the following
statutes should be extended unit
June 80. 1913:
Authorization for an undersecre.
tary of the Navy;
The authority to maintain wal
housing, much Of it now in emer'
gency use for veterans, but which
would have to be disposed of withir
two years unless extension wers
voted:
Provisions for the discharge o.
certain Army officers;
Authority to make temporary ap
pointments of officers in the Arm,
without regard to any particula,
branch or arm of the service:
The right to arm American mer
chant vessels;
The suspension of import dutie!
on scrap iron, steel and rails;
The free importation of good'
for members of the armed force!
of the United Nations in the United
States; the use of Public Building!
Administration employees as specia
policemen for the protection Of
Federal property. =
Action by Congress by the So
called emergency laws" viii leave
but a single group of wartime
statutes to be dealt with, these
later being dependent on declara.
ton of the termination of the war.
the President pointed out in today!
message.
Five Categories of Laws.
Mr.. Truman dealt with five cate.
gories of laws in today's message
l. Temporary statues which ar
no longer needed.
2. Permanent statutes unde,
which operations have been dis
continued, but which should re
main for possible use during flu
ture emergencies.
8. Statutes appropriating funds
which should, when the funds ar
no longer required, be handled b.
cutback of the money rather thar
the repeal of the law.
4. Statutes which should be tenn
porarily extended pending consider
alton of permanent legislation, O.
any other disposition as may be de-
sired.
S. A group of dozen laws OF
which a time or use limit shoule
be fixed.
Reconversion Progressing.
The President said, 1.-The prog
ress of reconversion" makes pos
sible the action which he has rec
commended and that his sugges
ton will, If accepted, material!
assist in further freeing the coun'
try of war controls and will helI
make possible an early ending O.
the emergency" He added that he i
studying the question of terminal.
ing the 1889 and 1941 emergenc.
laws and intended to take actor
as soon as the circumstances per
NIT"
High White House advisors have
indicated to newsmen that if Con:
gress acts with reasonable dispatch
the emergency may be terminated
by July.
The proclamation would cove,
both the limited emergency pro
claimed September 8, 1889, and tn,
full" emergency declared May q
1941.