Evening star., 1948-07-18
Truman Likely
To Seek Price
Curbs, Rationinq
Expected to Submit
'Up-to- -Dote' Program
To Fight InfIotion
By ChoImers IA. Roberts

FTeSlQeIlL truman Is cApcCGCu
to ask the special session of Con-
gress for authority to impose
consumer price controls as the
chief feature of an "up-to-date"
version of the 10-point anti-in-
flation program he first outlined
eight months ago, The Star
learned last night.
White House sources said the 10
point program enunciated to the
special session the President called
last November is being resexamined
and brought up to date" but that so
far. at least. no way except price
controls had been found to halt the
high prices which plague most
Americans today.
Mr.. Truman probably will offer
this program in person at joint
session of Congress at the opening
of the special session week from
tomorrow, it was learned.
Tone Expected to Be Milder.
The tone of this speech. however,
is likely to be much less rip-roaring
than the Presidents acceptance
speech at Philadelphia last week
during which he announced the spe-
cial session call.
After ALL" high official told
The Star. you don't make the same
kind of speech to Congress you do
to a political convention"
About five of the 10 points in last
November's program already have
been carried out fully or in large
part, but administration officials
consider them minor points. The
major points never enacted by the
Republican controlled 80th Congress
which Mr.. Truman is likely. to ask
again are:
!. Authorization of price ceilings
on products in short supply Whicl,
basically eject the cost Of living OF
industrial production" This point
originally included a request TO,
power to impose such wage cell.
ings" but it is not at all certain
that the President will ask again fol
wage curbs.
Consumer Rationing Sought.
2. Authorization of consumer
rationing on products in short sup
ply which basically Affect the cost
of living" Rationing is still con-
sidered the only effective way to
handle price controls.
3. Authorization to allocate and
control inventories OF scarce ma
terials. wartime power to aid and
encourage production of items In
short supply.
4. Restrictation of consumer con-
trolls" and limitation on Imitation
ary bank credit" Both are still
considered necessary by administra-
ton economists.
5. Regulations Of commodity ex-
change speculation. The amount oi
such speculation dropped after the
congressional Investigations, ano
such a point, therefore may not bt
included In a new anti-inflatior
program.
Seeking to Make Issue Clear.
The Star was told that the Pres
ident will concentrate on the high
cost of living and on housing, per-
haps limiting his appearance next
week to those two issues alone. He
will thus attempt to make the is.
sue between him and the Republi
cans as clear as possible to the
voters.
These are the points he called
''of major concern to nearly every
American family" in his rousins
Philadelphia speech. They were tht
specific reasons he gave for calling
Congress back.
The other points the President
mentioned in the speech will come
along later in the session. 1t i,
understood. They include aid te
education, national health pro-
gram, civil rights legislation, min.
imum wage increase, extension OF
social security and extension OF
public power projects.
That the high cost of living will
not be the Presidents concern alone
was indicated last night in state
ment by Senator Baldwin, Republi-
can, of Connecticut, a member OF
the progressive wing of his party
The Senator announced in Connec-
ticut that he will introduce a reso-
See CONGRESS Page A-7l