Evening star., 1951-06-22
Stage Set in Congress
For Rousing Battle
On Economic Controls

| Committee action in both houses
Iof Congress yesterday set the stage
for a decision next week in the
|rousing fight over continuation Of
price, wage. rent and other eco
nomic controls.
Banking committees on each
side of the Capitol approved bills
denying President Truman just
about all the broad new powers
he says he needs to check infia-
ltion and curtailing some he al
ready has.
| Floor debate on the Senate bill
lis set for Monday. Chairman
Spence of the House Banking
group said he would try to get
House consideration started on
Wednesday.
Rollbacks Forbidden.
The Defense Production Act,
which authorizes present control
programs, is due to expire week
from tomorrow.
The Senate committee ignored
Istrong administration pleas In
writing into it's bill a ban on any
future rollbacks that would bring
prices below the average Of last
January 25-February "a.
The House measul includes a
l. mber of amendments restrict
ling Mr.. Truman's control powers.
Price Stabilizer Michael v. Di-
Sale said the Senate rollback
restriction would disrupt and
endanger the entire stabilization
program" if 1t became law.
Restriction Denounced.
Senator's Douglas, Democrat, of
Illinois. Moody, Democrat, of
michigan, and Ives, Republican,
of New York, all members of the
Senate Committee, Jointly de-
lnounced the restriction and de-
clared they would fight 1t on the
Senate floor.
In brief filed with both Bank
ling Committees, Mr.. Disable said
the provision would cost consum-
ers So billion in price rollbacks
presently planned.
} AS 1t now stands, the Senate
bill would block Government or
} ders rolling back the prices of
} live beef, shoes, apparel and many
D other items to their "pre-Korean''
D levels of a year ago.
D 1t would permit the 10 per cent
beef price rollback already in eff
D feet, but allow not more than a
further 2 per cent cut in beef
D price ceilings, compared with twin
)I412 per cent additional rollbacks
D already ordered to become effec-
tive on August l and October /.
D Chairman Maybank of the Sen
0 ate committee, insisted that what
was left of the Presidents pro-
0 gram is "a good bill"
o. The Senate bill would continue
y for eight months, until March /
Y 1852. Government authority to
0 control wages. prices, rents and
Q installment buying credit instead
0 of the two-year extension Mr.
o Truman sought.
y It also would deny him the new
powers he requested to seize pri-
y Ivate property for defense pur-
y poses. license businesses as q
= means to enforce controls, tighten
y credit controls on the purchase ot
existing housing and introduce 9
new schedule of subsidy payments
Some administration forces were
reported angling for a compromise
! on the rollback issue. which might
follow closely the House version OF
the controls bill. The House voted
to limit future rollbacks on any
agricultural product to 80 per cent
: of the price on last May 10.
+ Consumers to Have Voice.
= In other developments on the
= controls front:
= l. Mr.. Disable launched a plan
elto give consumers an active voice
e in making price control policies
n and regulations. He said repre-
sentatives of % organizations have
been invited to meet with OPS Of
Ii ficials Monday to form a national
n CONSUMER advisory committee tt
: work with his agency.
a 2. The OPS postponed for the
!, fourth time the date on which re-
- tailers must post beef ceiling
'eIprices-this time from June 2;
d to August 1.
d 8. The Agriculture Department
said there's going to be plenty o.
IS ham, pork and bacon-the secone
II largest supply in the Nations his.
tory, or 105,818,000 head in tht