Evening star., 1948-11-07

WllCl1 Ilc Has De6l eleCCeQ III his
own right with jobs at an all-time
high. In his case, the social reforms
are likely to be preceded by a new
drive for imitation controls and
revision of the Republican-sponsored
housing bill of last July, which
placed the emphasis on encouraging
private construction, rather than
public housing and slum clearance
When the President rolled up his
sleeves and decided to declare war
on the Republican Congress, calling
them back into session last July, he
listed imitation control and housing
as the two paramount issues.
Controls Withheld
On imitation, the Republican lead
ers gave him only revival of in
stallment- buying regulations and a
check on bank credit. They side
tracked his request for standby
authority to ration scarce commod-
tiles and to impose price controls
on selected products in short supply
which basically affect essential
industrial production or the cost of
living"
Mr.. Truman contended in his mes
'sage to the July special session, that
many profit margins have been ade-
quate to absorb wage increases
without the price increases that
followed. He added, however. that
the Government should have au-
thority to limit wage adjustments
which would force break in
price ceiling, except where wage
adjustments are essential to remedy
hardship, to correct inequities or
to prevent an actual lowering of
living standards"
Mood for Price Control
In 1916 the Republicans won con-
troll of Congress on the slogan, Had
Enough" aimed chiefly at the con-
tinuation of wartime rationing and
price control at a time when meat
and some other necessities were ex-
tremely scarce.
Last week the voters put the
Democrats back in the drivers seat
on Capitol Hill after a campaign in
which Mr.. Truman made the. refusal
| of Congress to carry out his recon-
mendations the main issue. It is
safe assumption that the new Dem
ocrats he helped elect will be in
mood to try some form of price con-
troll, and it is foregone conclusion
they will lfberalize the housing law.
1t also Is more likely that the new
Congress will be highly sympathetic
to anything the farmers ask for. In
the rush of adjournment last sum-
mer, the Republicans put through a
farm price support program. 1t con-
tanned the 80 per cent of parity
formula through calendar year 1949,
and then provided for a graduated
range of from so to 80 per cent of
parity.
Wage Floor to Rise
In Tuesdays election, however,
Illinois and some other Midwestern
States the Republicans thought they
had in the bag, gave their electoral
votes to Mr.. Truman and replaced
some of their Republican lawmakers
with Democrats. Senators and
Representatives from farm States,
in both parties, will study these re-
turns carefully and give existing
farm legislation another look before
1850 rolls around.
| There is little doubt the new Con-
gress will increase the minimum
wage law from the present 40 cents
an hour figure at least to the 75-
cent rate recommended by Mr..
Truman last July. In this connec-
ton. one of the arguments that will
be used to hasten revision Of the
social security law will be Mr..
Truman's point last July that per-
sons living on these pensions are
victims OF imitation" He suggested
that these benefits to the aged and
to widows with dependent children
be raised so per cent.
! The election upheaval in the
ranks of the House and Senate
likewise will strengthen the drive
to open wider the gates of this
country to the admission of dis
placed persons from Europe. MIR.
Truman hammered away at Con-
gress for not having liberalized this
law in July, step which Gov
Dewey also favored.
The strength President Truman
displayed In the Far West, despite
the presence of Gov. Warren of
California on the Republican ticket,
will make it easier for the delega-
tions from that region to get funds
for the water power and reclama-
ton projects that have become q
paramount issue in the Far West,
Bloom. Connally Accord
In the field Of foreign affairs-so
important to peace and security
the bipartisan cooperation which
prevailed in this Congress is certain
to continue and probably will be
even stronger. Representative
Bloom of New York and Senator
Connally Of Texas. who are slated
to become chairmen of FOREIGN
Affairs Committees, both have had
long experience with the problems
that will confront them. In the
past they worked in close accord
with Representative Eaton of New
Jersey and Senator Vandenberg of
Michigan, the present chairmen,
who, in January, will become the
ranking minority members.
Extension Of the Reciprocal Trade
Agreement Act was the only major
segment of foreign policy on which
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