Evening star., 1949-02-17
Peocetime OPA Bill Held
Path to q Socialist State
Considered Longest Step Proposed
Toward Controlled Economy
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

The administrations peacetime OPA bill
sponsored by Chairman Spence of the
House Banking and Currency Committee.
though actually product of the executive
the longest step toward Government
controlled economy yet proposed by Presi-
dent of the United States.
1t carries with it the now familiar emer-
gency guise, which was used again and again
during the administrations of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt to obtain legislation
from Congress and impress the American
people. The very fact that the authority
granted the President in the new bill is to
terminate June 80, 1851, adds to the desired
eftect-that this is measure designed to
meet urgent conditions and not intended as
permanent policy.
The Democratic administrations, since
they took over in 1888, have never been
without an emergency of one kind or an
other. The last was war. Now in the great
est period Of production and employment
the country has ever known in peacetime.
the Truman administration Is seeking to
give the President power to fix prices, with
kind OF back-handed approach to wage
controls, too; to allocate scarce materials.
and to construct factories to produce Steel
or other essential products If the supply is
so scarce as to jeopardize the national
economy or safety.
May Ask Renewal.
Inc controls or powers proposed are
called "stand-by,' on the theory that thev
will not be exercised by the President unless
there is grave danger to the economy of
the country. The decision in the matter.
however, is left to the Chief Executive. Fur
ther, the probabilities are that at the end
OF the tWo-year period of it's operation Of.
1orts Will be made to extend it's life for
announcer tWo-year period or longer
Inc american people have never liked
conIfolS' OUT they have had a lot of them.
IN recent years. It was really an uprising
OF sentiment against continued Government
controls after. the close of the war that
lolcea Mr. truman to remove them by
executive decree and also brought about
1916. 'ist e0S 1n
The New Deal Democrats cling to the
loea that Government knows what's best for
Ihe people and that it is the Job of the Cow
elnment 10 direct the affairs of the people
1hese Ideas have continued to find new
converts and the more controls are imposed
tne easier Will be the path to a socialist
state The most radical proposal of all in
the new bill is that which would authorize
the President to go ahead and contract for
the building of steel mills, or some other
kind of mill
From Government control of business It
is just another step to Government opera
ton OF business. One way to condition the
people to it, is to follow the proposals of
the administration.
South Holds Balance.
This OPA measure is just one item in the
Truman program, which is designed to
prevent great ups and downs in the coun.
trys economy to avoid "busts"; of course
a continuous boom if it could be main
tained. would be entirely satisfactory to the
political party in power.
group of Southern Democrats in the
Senate holds today the balance of power
between the Truman fair dealers" and the
Republicans. They can give life to this OPA
bill, to socialized medicine, to Taft-Hartley
labor law repeal, and to half dozen other
controversial measures, or they can kill
them deader than doornail.
These Southerners who do not like the
Truman program are becoming restive
under the constant prodding which Senator
Taft of Ohio, Republican policy leader.
applies to Democratic Floor Leader Lucas
in an effort to get him to bring up the
proposed change in the cloture rule of the
Senate, change which might insure the
passage of the Truman civil rights program.
Some of them are going so far as to
threaten to walk out on the supporters OF
toe Taft Hartley Act unless the Republicans
let up on the civil rights issue. They see
no good reason why Mr.. Taft and ovler
Republicans should force this issue-wnicn
is properly, they contend. in the lap OF Sem
ator Lucas and the administration. They
are virtually saying to Senator Lucas, II
YOU don't press us too hard, perhaps you
may count on our votes for some OF these
administration measures.