Evening star., 1949-10-30

'rds which have flowed, in praise OF
at the close of its first session had
so-called Truman program. That
new labor legislation repeating the
Of the world, have been under
consideration by the House ano
Senate Committees on Banking
and Currency. and the House
might tackle this early in the ses-
sion. One of the proposals calls
for Federal guarantees against
certain risks of private American
investment made abroad under
the plan.
Under the Constitution any tax
legislation must originate in the
House. The Ways and Means
Committee. headed by Represent
ative Doughton of North Carolina
made no effort during the last ses-
sion to go forward with the tax
increases proposed by Mr.. Tru-
man. With deficit spending pro-
ceeding at rapid rate, the COM
mittee will be on the spot if the
President again demands tax in
creases, as he is expected to do.
! Repeal of the Taft-Hartley la
Dor law. demanded by Mr.. Tru-
man, begged down absolutely in
the last session. The Senate
passed a new labor bill, following
lines supported by Senator Taft,
wholly unacceptable to Mr.. Tru-
man and the labor leaders. The
House substituted the Wood bill,
which retained the main features
of the Taft-Hartley Act, for the
administrations repeal bill and
then referred the Wood bill back
to the House Labor Committee.
! There it rests along with the Sem
ate bill. Representative Lesinski
Of Michigan. chairman of the
committee, has been quoted as
saying it would be useless" to
take up repeater bill at the COM
ing session-that it could get no.
where. However, under the prod
ding of the labor leaders and the
White House, an effort may be
made to revive the repeal legisla-
ton.
Civil Rights Pending
| Another problem which the
House Labor Committee has on its
hands is the bill for Federal aid
to education. This passed the
Senate last session and ran into
snag in the House committee
over the issue of aid to parochial
schools. So bitter was the con-
t1oversy that the measure re-
manned pigeonholed in committee.
1t is predicted. however, that steps
will be taken to get the bill be-
fore the House at the coming
session. The administration is
particularly desirous that the
Legislation be completed.
The House, If it desires. can
take up and put through the civil
rights legislative program. It has
already passed an anti-poll tax bill
and sent it along to the Senate.
Debate in the House may be
rigidly limited. making a f1libuster
difficult and practically sure to
fail, if it is undertaken by South
ern Democrats in that body. Under
these conditions it becomes a
question of strategy whether the
House takes up, for example, the
FEPC bill or awaits action by the
Senate on such a measure.
Early in the coming session, the
Senate is expected to take up the
displaced persons bill. Indeed, the
understanding, when it was laid
aside and sent back to committee
before adjournment, was that the
bill would be taken up January Is.
Also the so-called ''basing point"
bill, dealing with freight rate. reg
ulation was laid aside with the
expectation of early action.
One important measure in the
Presidents program which the
House passed at the last session
is the bill to extend the coverage
of the Social Security Act and to
increase benefits. The admins
tration leadership in the Senate
will press for action on this, too.
Military Training Issue
In neither house was anything
done during the last session about
the Presidents proposal for uni
versal military training. With the
country saddled, apparently for
years to come, with tremendous
expenditures for national defense
and the need for preparedness
for war-this is a proposal that
deserves serious consideration. It
will take strong pressure, however,
to bring universal military train
ing to the fore in Congress.
Congress, in it's work on appro-
priations, will be called upon to
provide additional funds for ECA
and for the arms aid for Western
Europe. World conditions and
conditions within the United
States will have great bearing on
the eventual action of Congress
on these matters.
It is expected that the Presi-
dent will submit additional pro-
posals for the reorganization Of
the executive departments and
agencies, in line with the Hoover
Commission report, and that an
other attempt will be made to
provide for department of public
welfare, this time by affirmative
law.
In the field of public works and
conservation. Congress may tackle
proposals to establish a Missouri
Valley administration, Columbia
Valley administration and q St.
Lawrence River seaway. Hearings
have already been held on bills
to provide for Federal retention of
tidelands oil reserves, and they