Evening star., 1948-07-28
The Presidents MESSAGE

the special session of the Republican Con-
gress is transparently political, and can be
put aside as being such
The President announced the special
session call in the intensely partisan at
mosphere of the Democratic convention
That alone suggests the political motiva-
ton and the content of his message con-
firms it.
Mr.. Truman asked for legislative action
on twelve matters. Only one of them, or
perhaps two could possibly justify calling
the Congress back to Washington in the
midst of an election year. These two in
volve the cost of living and housing. The
remaining ten, running from Federal
school aid to civil rights have no place
on the agenda of special session, and
their inclusion in the message can only be
regarded as a bit of presidential vote fish
ing. For the record, the President men
toned eight additional subjects on which
he said he would welcome action If the
special session should find itself with spare
time on its hands. But the absurdity of
this was too self-evident and Mr. Truman
gave these matters no more than passing
mention.
The President stressed the cost of living
and the housing items as being really
urgent.
There is room for doubt with respect to
the second item. Some $1,000 new housing
units we're started in May of this year.
That is an increase of 1876 per cent over
the monthly rate in 1889 During the year
1947 total of $4,000 housing units were
started as compared to $4,000 in 1946
This unprecedented volume of building
had drawn 2,064,000 workers into the con-
structlon industry as of May-close to
twice as many men as were engaged in
building in 1899. What this means is that
practically all available workers are
already employed in the building industry
and this coupled with the fact that most
building materials are being consumed as
fast as they are produced, makes it ex-
ceedingly doubtful that any more housing
would be forthcoming If the bill which the
President recommends should be passed
The country might get different type of
! housing, and perhaps cheaper housing on
subsidized basis, but it Is very doubtful
that action in the special session, as dis
tinguished from action In the next regular
session, would bring any substantial i'm
; provement in the overall housing situ-
alton.
Living costs are another matter They
are steadily creeping up and the end is
not yet In sight. There can be no doubt
that there is need for action now The
question is what effective action can be
taken.
The President, by implication at least
would saddle the Republican Congress with
all of the blame for the high cost of living.
But he is at least partly responsible In
October of 1916, just before the election
which brought the Republicans into power
at the Capitol, he lifted ceilings on meat
and livestock, although meat was in short
supply. And in that same month he made
a speech urging in effect that workers be
paid the same wage for forty-hour week
as they had been getting for forty eight
This brought the first round of postwar
wage Increases and we are now in the
midst OF the third. In November of 1946
Mr.. Truman wiped out all wage controls
and lifted virtually all remaining price
ceilings. On that occasion he said: THE
law OF supply and demand, operating in
the market place, will, from now on serve
the people better than would continued
regulation of prices"
But the law OF supply and demand,
trusted two years ago by the President as
we'll as by his political opponents, has not
done the trick. Something more is needed,
and Mr. Truman calls on Congress to give
him eight regulatory powers.
Some Of them-power to restore con-
sumner credit controls, to restrain specu-
lation on the commodity exchanges and to
regulate inf1ationary bank credit among
others-might serve some useful purpose.
But approaches of this nature. and the
same can be said for price ceilings and
rationing, do not get to the heart of the
problem. which consists of the funda-
mental fact that demand Is still outrun-
ming supply, even at inflated prices.
Mr.. Truman pats himself and the Demo-
Gratis on the back for having raised farm
income from So 500, 100000 in 1888 to more
than $4,000, 100000 in 1s47. And he also
claims credit for the fact that wages and
salaries have risen from $29, 900, 900 900 in
1888 to more than s12S, ZOO, 900 900 in 1s47
In these facts there certainly lies large
part of the explanation of present high
prices. Yet Mr.. Truman shies away from
any proposal which would reduce inflated
! farm income or the high wage level. In
fact, he argues for still higher wages, ex-
cept where this would necessitate raising
| price ceilings, and he would even be willing
to lift ceilings to permit wage increases "to
remedy hardship, to correct inequities, or
to prevent an actual lowering of living
| standards"
The unpleasant fact is. however that
nigh living Standards based on high in
comes are prime factors in the present
high cost of living. In an election year,
the President does not want to come to
grips with this fact, and neither will his
! Repuhlcan nnnnsitinn Yat IL L. ..A~..