Evening star., 1950-09-24
Congress Did Well by Truman
Except for Domestic Program


session appropriated SIT billion
for emergency defense.
Marshall Plan Tor economic aid
to strengthen Western Europe:
Continued in operation, with two
year appropriations of $40 billion.
Military aid to Atlantic Pact
and other friendly nations: Ap-
proved, with two-year appropria-
tions of $5.8 billion.
Reciprocal trade agreements
program: Continued in operation
North Atlantic Pact: Ratified.
Displaced persons law: Amended
to admit more foreign refugees.
Point -Four" program of pro-
viding technical aid to economi-
Ically retarded areas: Approved,
but the Senate refused to go along
with another part of this pro-
gram, passed by the House, to
guarantee up to $3.50 million in
private investments abroad.
National Defense.
Armed Services Unification Act
broadened to give Defense Secre-
tary more authority.
Military pay: Increased by ap-
proximately 1903 million.
Subversive control: Bill requir-
ing registration of Communists
and Communist front" groups,
lnternment in wartime, tighten
ing immigration controls and pro-
viding stiff penalties for spies and
saboteurs passed both chambers,
was vetoed, and was enacted over
the veto.
Seaport protection: President
given authority to search and
control movement of foreign YES
sells in United States waters.
Other Domestic Programs.
Rent control-extended until
December 81. 1850, and until June
80. 1851, on local option basis.
Exports-President's power to
control exports continued to June
80. 1851.
Legalization of basing point
pricing system when not in con-
f1ict with antitrust laws: ap-
proved by Congress but killed by
veto.
Postal service: House passed bill
canceling Post Office Department
order cutting city mail deliveries
to one daily. Senate did net act.
Bank deposits: Maximum Fed
eral insurance on individual de-
positS increased from $4,000 to
$4,000.
Gambling: Separate bills to ban
interstate shipment of slot ma
chimes except to States which act
to admit them. were passed, but
final enactment was blocked by
Senate filibuster.
Housing: SIS billion slum clear
ance and low-cost public housing
bill passed.
Aid to Education.
Education: Bills were passed
providing Federal aid for con-
struction and to operate and main
tain schools in areas where public
enrolment is swollen by Govern
ment activities.
Social security: Payments were
increased and an estimated 10
million additional persons were
brought under coverage by old
age and survivors insurance pro-
grams.
Agriculture: Information wheat
agreement to stabilize world
prices and supplies was ratified;
bill was passed. continuing 90 per
cent support of farm prices
through 1850. with sliding scale
thereafter; storage facilities of
Commodity Credit Corp. were ex-
panded; crop insurance program
was broadened; loans for rural
telephone installation were ap-
proved.
Industrial wages: Minimum
legal wage in interstate commerce
raised from 40 cents an hour to
rs.
Pay of Government employees:
Raises voted for classified civil
service workers.
Wages for women: Senate
passed, but House sidetracked,
bill laying down the principle
that women should receive the
same wages as men when they
perform the same work.
Veterans: Benefits for men
with presumed service-connected
disabilities were. increased: pay
ment of family allowances to de-
pendents of servicemen was pro-
vided: automatic job promotions
for World War II veterans in the
postal service were voted but the
President vetoed the bill; bill
giving out-patient, or clinical,
treatment to Spanish
War veterans regardless of the
cause of their ailments was en-
acted into law over the PreSi-
dents veto.
Civil Rights: The House passed,
but a Senate filibuster threat de-
feated, a bill to create Fair EN-
loyment Practices Commission;
the House also passed, and the
Senate similarly shelved, a bill TO
prohibit poll taxes as a voting pre-