Evening star., 1948-02-03
Meat Rationiinq
Standby Plan
Is Beaten, 81
Flanders Bill Loses
In Senate Bunkinq
Subcommittee
By Malcolm Lomborne, Jr,

A Senate Banking Subcommit-
tee today voted. 3 to 2, against
authorizing the Government to
get ready for meat rationing.
The action came a short time after
an Agriculture Department official
insisted there was mo inconsistency"
in the views of President Truman
and the Agriculture Department
with respect to meat controls.
Chairman Flanders and Senator
Sparkman, Democrat, of Alabama,
voted for a favorable report on Sen
ator Flanders bill to let the Agri-
culture Department set up rationing
machinery, Senator Flanders said.
Opposing the bill were Senators
Capehart, Republican, of Indiana;
Buck, Republican, of Delaware, and
Robertson, Democrat, of Virginia.
Senator Flanders said that
whether the fight for mandatory
program is continued will depend on
the full Senate Banking Committee.
1t could override the subcommittee
but that appeared unlikely.
In the meantime, Senator Flan-
ders said the subcommittee will con-
slider ways of encouraging volun-
tary rationing program. He said
this would include urging consumers
to reduce their overall meat con-
and to buy cheaper cuts.
Rent Curb Extension Urged.
Earlier, the administration asked
Congress again to keep rent controls.
Housing Expediter Tighe E. Woods
told the House Banking Committee
rent controls ought to be continued
two more years and made stronger.
That group is Just opening hearings
on whether to keep controls, which
will end February % unless Congress
votes to continue them.
Before Senator Flanders group
his bill, it heard Assist
ant Secretary of Agriculture Charles
F. Brannan declare there is no in
consistency between the Agriculture
Departments views on meat ration
ing and those President Truman has
Senator Flanders had
called them inconsistent after two
developments last week.
First, Mr.. sBrannan had testified
in support of the Flanders bill. |
Then Mr.. Truman told news con-
ference there was no use having
without price controls.
Mr.. Brannan also had told the
committee that the need for meat
machinery was urgent.
The President told his news con-
ference the administration had not
reached a decision on whether meat
is necessary.
Depends on Congress.
Mr.. Brannan stressed today that
The irnminency of controls depends
on Congress and he added that he
could not see how the President
could "prognosticate what Congress
will do"
Il have examined the transcript
Of the press conference last Thurs
day at the White House and there |
IS no inconsistency" Mr.. Brannan
said.
He added:
THE President has asked Con-
yress for price control authority for
all essential foods, and last week he
again insisted that the authority for
price control is necessary.
MY understanding is that he be-
ieves that the authority to control
prices has higher priority than
the authority to ration. That point |
was adequately and unmistakably
covered in what said last week. If |
we are to have rationing pro-
gram, the authority to control prices
is necessary to make rationing
work"
NO-ceiling Increases Studied.
The question of continuing rent
has been under study by
Senate Banking subcommittee for
some time. One idea which has
up there is to allow vol
rent increases of any size
provided landlord and tenant sign
/ long-term lease. Senator Cain,
of Washington suggest
ed it. No decisions have been
reached.
One of Mr.. Woods proposals for
4 stronger law comes out of this
situation
When Congress voted last year to
keep controls until the end of this
it approved Is per cent in