The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-02-01
Report From
Washington
By U. S. Senator Herbert r. O'COnOr

''freeze" of prices and wages with
mixed reactions - but the general
attitude is one of wait and see"
with fervent hope that results will
be as desired.
The freeze" on nearly all pro-
ducts and wages, except farm pro-
ducts selling below parity, is prob
ably only "stopgap" measure, to
| be followed later by imposition of
individual ceiling prices on an in
dustry- by industry basis. 1t is likely
that such ceiling prices will involve
some rollbacks on prices, to revise
the present basis of highest prices
prevailing between December 10 and
January 25.
While approving in the main of
the governments action as an effort
to halt the threatened runaway in
fiation, many members of Congress
and leaders of industry felt that the
action had been delayed far too long;
some labor officials were less en-
thusiastic, a few even violently
critical.
This first step in the mobilization
of the Country's economy for war
lacks much of the authority" of ra-
tioning, etc, as imposed during
World War H. Against the World
War II total of 10000 enforcement
employees, likewise, the Director of
Price Sterilization today has only a
few hundred under his command.
President Truman has directed that
the FBI and other agencies help in
enforcement of the new decree. How
this will work out remains to be
seen.
With respect to farm prices, it is
provided by the Defense Production
Act of 1850, under which the ESA
functions, that no ceilings may be
imposed on farm products if they
are lower than either: Cd the aver
age price in the month before the
Korean war began last June 25 or
(2) the parity level, calculated to
give the farmer a fair return in re-
lation to the things he buys.
While small number of farm pro-
ducts - such as beef, veal, lamb,
pork, rice-are at or above parity,
many others-poultry, wheat, corn,
most fruits and vegetables, butter,
milk, tobaccoS - are below parity.
These also are under ceilings at re-
tail, but the Disable plan permits the
ceilings to be increased easily.
Single Appropriations Bill Rejected
Just today the Appropriations
Committee of the House of Repre-
sentatives voted against continuance
of the Single Appropriations Bill,
which, along with Senator Byrd of
Virginia and other economy-minded
Senators, | co-Sponsored last year.
To me, this is an unfortunate step
backwards in Government financing,
just at time when complete control
of Federal expenditures is more
necessary than ever.
In budget as huge as that pro
posed by the President for fiscal
1852, for instance, many Senators
are convinced that tremendous cuts
must be made, particularly in non
defense items, to prevent unbearable
tax burdens or further heavy in
creases in the Federal debt.
Having the complete appropria-
tons request before the Congress, SO
that necessary cuts may be made in
budgets of various departments 81
multaneously, would greatly simpli-
fly the goal of reduced spending
which the other economy-minded
Senators and l are determined must
be reached.
U.N. Action Urged By Congress
The extraordinary action of the
Congress in voting to notify the
United Nations of its conviction that
Communist China should be declared
an aggressor in the Korean fighting
brings sharply into focus the state
of mind that has developed through
out the United States recently with
regard to the United Nations.
This nation has been the bulwark
of the United Nations. We not only
supply nearly 400 of all monies re-
quired for United Nations function
ing and administration, but have ac-
tually furnished 900 of the forces
required to halt Communist aggres-
sion in Korea. What the United Ma
tons reaction will be to this unpre-
cedented demand upon it undoubted-
ly will have far reaching implica-
tons with regard to future rela-
tons between our country and the
United Nations. This situation is
being watched with intense interest
by leaders of both Houses of Con-