The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-02-10
SOLID DEMOCRATIC vOTEPUTS
CONTROL BILL THRU CONGRESS

Washington CLPA) - The first
bill in President Truman's anti-in-
flation program went to the White
House last week after an import
ant fight in the Senate. The bill,
extending voluntary controls until
Sept. 30, 1949, was occasion for a
display Of feeling on the subject Of
compulsory controls, which will
come up as soon as the admins
tration has time to prepare an ade-
quate program.
Showdown on the measure took
the form Of Senate vote for a
seven-month extension Of the pre-
sent voluntary rationing system on
scarce supplies, rather than full
years extension which the Republi-
cans wanted. Voting, for the first
time in the 81st Congress, was
noticeably along party lines. Every
Democrat present voted for the
Administration bill. Two Republi-
cans, Senator Wayne Morse of
Oregon and William LANCER of
North Dakota, joined them.
In presenting the bill, Sen. Bur
net Maybank d., S. C.), chairman
Of the Senate Banking Committee,
said he was convinced that broad
er program will be submitted in
the future but a temporary extern
sion of the present system is nee
essary until new4egislation can be
properly studied and prepared. He
pointed out that the bill covers not
only the steel ALLEGATION program
being administered by the Com
merce Dept but also the oil alloca-
tions under Interior Dept and
other programs being handled by
Justice and Agriculture.
Not even the Republicans argued
that the voluntary system has
worked in the oil and other indus
tries. Many claimed that it has
worked in the steel industry. Sen.
John w. Bricker (R., Ohio), famous
as Dewey's running mate in IA,
insisted that there is no need for
compulsory controls and offered an
amendment extending the present
voluntary system until March,
1850. 1t was Bricker's amendment
that was defeated by the solid
show Democratic strength.
Sen. Raymond E. Baldwin (R.,
Conn., made himself easily the
most unpopular man on the floor
by repeating the same question
over and over again, after receiv-
ing answers from several Demo-
Gratis at various times during the
proceedings. Finally continuing to
ignore all other replies, he ann
ounced he was answering it him
self. The question: Why are the
Democrats making their first anti
initiation bill an extension of Re-
publican measure introduced by
the 80th Congress. Why don't they
a bill for rigid controls
instead? Baldwin's answer, of
course, was that the Republican
measure was better and everyone
knew it.
The real answer was that the
controls act expired this
month and there would not be time
to get thru any new legislation be-
fore then. The extension is a stop
gap move designed to avoid a
stretch of time when there would
be no controls at all. 1T is going
to take the Democrats long time"
Sen. Maybank complained, ''to
undo some of the Republican mea-
sures enacted during the S0th Con-
gress."
Snapped Sen. Scott w. Lucas
3D., Ill.) in reply to Baldwin's bait
ing, "The Republicans took all the
time they wanted in order to- bring
forth these few little popgun anti
initiation measures. Now, because
the President of the United States
wants a little time, working with
the Secretary of Agriculture, the
Secretary of the Interior, and other
agencies of the executive branch of
government who are vitally con-
,erned with economic stabilization,
we find this political criticism on
The other side of the aisle"
Sen. Claude Pepper d., Fla.)
declared that he will support a |
controls measure when
t comes up and Sen. Spessard l..
Holland (also D., Fla.) asserted
hat the Committee has shown it |
will have program ready before
Congress adjourns this spring.
On the heels of the Senate scrap,
he bill shot thru the House with