Evening star., 1950-09-24
BY the Associoted Press

Congress, keyed up by the
Korean fighting and the ap-
preaching elections. gave Presi-
dent Truman just about what he
asked on international and de-
fense matters, but a somewhat
skimp portion of his domestic
program before adjourning yes.
terday. t#
Under the stress of the struggle
against Communist aggression, it
tossed away a proposed billion
dollar excise tax cut and voted
instead to levy an extra SAT billion
taxes on Americans and their
businesses.
For the current fiscal year alone.
Congress voted more than $50
billion for defense purposes, and
gave the President broad control
powers over the Nations economy.
1t defeated or ignored, how
ever, such key items in the Tru-
man domestic program as Federal
aid to schools, the Brannan farm
plan, compulsory health insurance
and the Taft-Hartley law repeal.
Nevertheless, the President told
newsmen at the height of the pre-
adjournment drive that he was
well pleased with the lawmakers
work-that Congress had accom-
plished the purposes for which it
met. The legislators are due back
November 81, after the congress
sional elections. NE
Congress also left on the unfin-
ished calendar bills to admit Ha-
waii and Alaska to statehood, to
ban interstate, shipment of slot
machines, and possibly to extend
the Federal rent control program
expiring generally on December
81 except in areas electing to keep
controls longer.
On the international requests,
Congress gave the President just
about everything he pressed for.
1t was a different story. though,
on domestic affairs, despite the
fact that his own party held a
majority in both chambers. He
got nowhere. for example, on his
civil rights program.
Neither house gave the PreSi-
dents compulsory health insur-
ance plan consideration.
The President didn't fare too
well, either, on a number of his
nominations for major executive
positions. The Senate refused to
approve appointment of Mon
Wallgren as head of the National
Security Resources. Board and
Leland OldS as head of the Fed
eral Power Commission. !
But he got through, of his major
domestic program, bills raising
minimum wages in interstate in
dustry, adding about 10000, 900
people to the Social Security rolls,
and financing a big slum clear
ance program.
Two Vetoes Overridden.
He didn't do badly on govern
mental reorganization plans. OF
the 35 he submitted to Congress,
27 were allowed to become opera
tive. The other eight were vetoed
by Congress.
The President did quite bit of
vetoing, too.
He rejected, in the major bills
category, measures to exempt in.
dependent natural gas producers
and gathererS from Federal con-
troll; to legalize the So-called "baS-
ing point" system of pricing: to
give World War II veterans in
the postal service automatic pro-
motions and pay raises; to give
out-patient medical treatment to
Spanish American War veterans at
Government expense; to allow
$4,000 Orientals to become United
States citizens (vetoed because of
accompanying provisions of the
billo. and to stiffly curb Com
munists and Communist front"
groups.
Congress ignored vetoeS of the
Spanish american veterans bill
and the subversive control bill
and wrote them into law over the
Presidents objections.
Record On Major Bills.
Here is the record on major
legislation:
Defense production act, provid-
ing for price and wage controls.
rationing, production loans, credit
controls, ALLEGATIONS and priori-
ties: Approved.
Removal of statutory limitation
on size of armed forces: Approved.
Extension of Selective Service
law: Approved. ~
Doctors, dentists, and medical
specialists draft: Approved.
Taxation and appropriations
Emergency bill boosting person.
al and corporate taxes by an esti-
mated SAT billion: Approved.
Excess profits tax: Action de-
ferred. . ..
Oleomargarine taxes: Federal
tax removed.
Appropriations: $37 billion voted
during the first session and $38
billion during the second session,
including contract authorizations,
for normal operations of the Gov