Evening star., 1950-11-30
Senate Unit 10 Report
|60-Day Rent Control
Extension Bill Today
By J. A. o'Leory

n oo-udy extension OF Federal
rent control will be reported to
the Senate today by its Banking
Committee, and may sidetrack the
pending issue - statehood for
Alaska.
Senate leaders probably will
wait until tomorrow or Monday to
call up the rent bill, however. It
could only be called up today by
unanimous consent.
The grim turn of events in
Korea is believed to have been
one factor in the committee
prompt approval of the extension
bill late yesterday by a. vote of
10 to 2.
Some Senators, who a few days
ago thought rent control could be
left to local option after this year,
pointed out today that If Red
China's intervention in Korea
leads to a long war there will be
need for many economic controls,
including rent ceilings.
There is feeling that by the
end Of February the new Congress,
which meets January 3, should be
able to tell whether the world sit
uation and the defense program
require a new and more compre-
henSive rent law.
Law Expires December 81.
The present rent law expires
December 81, except in about 700
communities which have taken
voluntary action to keep the Fed
eral control in effect another six
months. The last session of Con-
gress wrote this optional clause
into the Federal law.
Opponents of Alaskan statehood
welcomed the rent resolution as
means of further delaying consid-
GRAFTON of the statehood bill.
Senator O'Mahoney, Democrat,
of Wyoming has been trying since
Tuesday to get the Alaskan bill
before the Senate, but Southern
Democrats, with some Republican
help, have kept the debate going.
Refusal of the opposition to let
bill be taken up foreshadows a
f1libuster even if administration
leaders succeed in getting the
Statehood bills for both Alaska
and Hawaii before the Senate
When Senators are willing to dis
pose of an issue. they seldom block
the preliminary motion to take
it up.
Vote on Rent Control Bill.
Those voting for the 6O-day rent
control bill in the Banking Com
mittee were Chairman Maybank,
Democrat, of South Carolina, and
Senator Taylor of Idaho, Robert
son Of Virginia, Douglas of Illinois, |
Long Of Louisiana. Sparkman of
Alabama. Frear of Delaware and
Fulbright of Arkansas, Democrats:
Tobey of New Hampshire and Ives
OF New York, Republicans.
Senators Bricker of Ohio and
Flanders Of Vermont, Republi-
cans. voted against, and Senator
Capehart, Republican, of Indiana
voted present.
Action came quickly after w.
Stuart Symington, chairman of
the National Security Resources
Board. and Tighe Woods, housing
expediter. went over the situation
with the committee in closed ses-
sion. n
On the House side. Chairman
Spence Of the Banking Commit
tee has introduced bill in line
with President Truman's request
for 90-day extension, but no
action has been taken on it.
Senator Frear said he voted to
report the 60-day bill with the
understanding it would not bind |
his vote on the Senate floor.
Senate Republicans will have a
chance today to discuss this and
other features of the administra-
tion program for the short session
when the entire COP membership
meets in party conference.
Senators Maybank and Cape
hart disagreed at a news confer
ence over whether any new rent
control bill is in the off1ng when
the 82d Congress convenes.
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