Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-06-15
Consumers Are Urged
To Get Behind Fight
For Economic Curbs

IVI LIVliUIlllI IuIUS
The tert OF PRESIDENT Tru-
mans address to the Nation last
night on economic controls:
I am going to talk to you to-
night about a real, practical,
down-to-earth problem that af-
fects the daily life of every Amer
lean. It affects your savings, your
pocketbook and your standard Of
living.
That is the problem of inf1a-
ton and high prices. We have
to keep prices down. This is hard
to do. It is going to get a lot
tougher as times goes on. The
problem is going to be with us
for two more years at least. It is
important for us to face these
facts and do what has to be done
to keep imitation under control. /
Right at this time, the Congress
is considering a bill to extend and
improve the laws under which we
are controlling prices. wages
credit and rents. That is a bill
to extend and amend the Defense
Production Act.
just is Days Left.
Some Of you may not realize
that our present powers to con-
troll high prices are due to expire
in about two weeks-on the 30th
of this month. That leaves just
16 days for the Congress to pass
a new law. I repeat-n the Con-
gress does not pass a new law,
price controls will expire on June
30th.
Last April. I sent to the Con-
greSs recommendations for i'm
proving and continuing laws for!
controlling imitation. For the last
six weeks, committees of the SEN
ate and the House of Representa-
tives have been busy holding hear
ings ON the problem. Now both
committees are hard at work de-
Gliding what kind of bill to rec
ommend. And very soon, both the
House and the Senate will start
to debate and then vote on the
measure.
This will be one of the most
critical debates the Congress has
held in long time. They way
the issue is decided will have a
direct, personal effect on every
American-and it will affect the
whole future of our defense effort
and our chance to have peace inI
the world.
Hundreds of Letters.
There are millions of families
IN this country living on low or
liked incomes. A lot of people
live on salaries, or pensions. And
above all, we must remember the
families OF the men in the armed
forces. These people simply can
not keep up with the cost of living
II we let imitation controls 90 out
the window. They know this and
they are worried about what is
going to happen. I am getting
hundreds Of letters from them.
Here is one from Mrs. David
Green Of Brooklyn, N. Y. Mrs
Green writes:
Dear President Truman:
I am a homemaker. NV hus-
nano earns a fixed salary. During
the past year my standard of iiv-
ing has declined. as prices went
up.
I know that I am expressing
the sentiments Of millions of home
makers when I write you to con-
tinue the struggle against inf1a-
ton.
g.. Please continue this strug-
gle for high American standard
of living"
Another From Cincinnati
Here is another letter, from Mr.
j. A. Pels of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr..
Pels writes: :,
Dear sir:
I am writing this in reference
TO controls / am in my 18th
year. I am retired. I have q fixed
income
When controls were taken off
the last time, the wise men"-by
that he means the "know-it-alls"
STATED that everything would be
cheaper. On the contrary, the
prices jumped up so that it hurt.
A 81 shirt cost S.
God help the many thousands
who are in the same position Il
please, Mr.. President, I beg of
you to keep the controls, all of
them. in force for the sake of us
who need this protection"
l want Mr.. Pels, and Mrs. Green,
and all the others who have writ
ten to me to know that am doing
everything I can to keep controls
in force.
The other day, I called in al
group OF Senators and Congress-
men-leaders of both parties inI
the committees that are working
on the defense production bill. Il
told them how important it was
for the country that we get a good
bill passed. I think they all agreed
But some of them told me they
were under lot of pressure from
the special interests to do away
with controls and that the con-
sumerS were not making them
selves heard.
Can't Do Whole Job, Myself.
Well, ] told them that I repre-
sented the consumers and that II
was speaking for them. And I am
speaking for you and working asl
hard as I can to convince the
members of Congress that we must
have a strong anti-inflation law.
But I can't do the whole job my
self.
This is something the whole