Evening star., 1948-11-06
Taft Act, Price Curbs
And Rent Action Top
Congress Program
BY J. A. 0Leoy

ItCpCd4 Va UIlC 4d1t-44dL C1CJ
Act, extension of rent control
and passage of some price con-
trolls stand high on the list oi
things the new Democratic Con-
gress is likely to do.
Vice President-elect Barkley pre-.
dicted all three Of these steps in 6
press conference late yesterday, il
which he also indicated he will ust
his long experience on Capitol Hill
to help cement friendly relation:
between the White House and tht
Democrats in Congress.
Senator Barkley, who will not re.
sign as Senator from Kentucky un'
til Just before the January 20 in
auguration, said he expects tht
Taft-Hartley law will be replaced
with notifications of the origina
Wagner National Labor Relations
Act. But "it will be something ex.
tremely different" from the existing
law, he added.
The veteran Senator said he as
sumed the President will recon-
mend a civil rights program in ac-
cordance with the party platform
but that, like other questions, is in
the Presidents hands.
Business Reassured.
Better ask the President about
that" was his reply, when asked il
Mr.. Truman would renew his re-
quest for revival of the excess profits
tax as a brake on imitation.
When a newsman asked If Senator
Barkley couldn't give some as
surances that business will not face
future reforms" the Vice Presi-
dent-elect replied:
Il don't know what reforms they
are afraid Of"
The reporters mentioned the
plunge of stock prices in Wall Street.
"Oh, Wall Street." Senator Bark
ley said. Il thought you were ask
ing me about business. I don't see
what business has to worry about
Corporations made s21 900, ,00O, ,OOO
after taxes last year-an all-time
peak. Business is doing pretty we'll
There was nothing in our cam
paign oratory-if I may call it that
that was unfair to business, honest
business, that is" He added that
honest business" has nothing to
fear from Congress.
Harmony Move Grows.
Meanwhile, the movement for
peace and harmony between North
ern and Southern Democrats con-
tinued to grow. Senators OMa-
honey, Democrat, of wyoming and
Johnston, Democrat, Of South Caro-
Lima both sounded this theme.
Predicting there will be no re-
prisals against Southerners who did
not support the party ticket, Sen
ator OMahoney said that "all will
be forgotten, and we'll have real
unity in Congress, including support
from most of the liberal Repub-
icans."
Senator Johnston, who opposed
Mr.. Truman's nomination, but voted
for him in the election. said he saw
the President yesterday and talked
Kith him.
II think we'll have harmony ir
the next Congress" the South Caro-.
linian added.
One of the first problems Senate
Democrats face is to pick theil
leaders. Senator Lucas of Illinois
considered the most likely choice tc
succeed Senator Barkley as aool
leader. has said he is available
Senator Mcclellan of Tennessee
dean of the Senate, said he would
be willing to serve again as preSi.
dent pro tenn if his colleagues honor
him with election. Senator Nc
Kellar, who has been elected to the
Senate six times by the people oi
Tennessee, was president pro ten,
before the Republicans took control
Outright Repeater Held Unlikely.
The belief held in some quarters
that Congress may modify insteac
of repeating entirely the Taft-Hart.
ley law is strengthened by a study
Of the viewpoint of the members
who will be back in Congress in
January.
The Senate will have SIS members
already on record as favoring the
law at the last session of Congress
That is six more votes than the
necessary majority when all SO Sen
atorS vote.
The House will have 226 members
back who voted or were recorded as
favoring the Taft-Hartley Act at
the last session. This is eight more
than the needed 218 members for q
majority of the 435-member House
OF course, these seeming major
tiles for Taft-Hartley may not hold
up. A prime reason is that many
returning Taft-Hartley hackers may
consider the voters gave them a
mandate to change the law.
On the other hand the attitude on
this subject of the more than 100
new members of the House and
Senate still is to be recorded. It
seems likely that more of the new
members will be for changing the
law than for not changing it, be-
cause Of the way the election went
and because many of them defeated
Taft-Hartley hackers.
Altogether eight Senators and 81
House members who voted for the
Taft-Hartley law were defeated in
Tuesdays election; 16 others, in
cluding two Senators and IA House
members, lost out in primaries.