Evening star., 1951-07-16
Price RoI|back Issue
To Receive lis Big
Test in House Today
By Robert K. Walsh

The price rollback issue headec
toward a supreme test in tht
House today, as Republican:
promised to vote for an economic
controls bill "once the Socialistit
power grabs have been weedee
out"
The Republican position, a!
stated by Representative Wolcot
OF Michigan, ranking minority
member Of the Banking and Cur.
rency Committee, is that:
"The bill which was presented
to the House contains numerous
provisions which are totally un.
related to the consumers prob
lem of price, wage and credit con.
trolls.
Drastic Changes Seen.
The administration is seekine
authority to set up Government.
owned plants, to set up Govern.
ment corporations in competition
with private industry. to move
existing privately owned plants tt
other parts of the country by
Government edict. to impose mar
keting quotas, and to sneak in the
thoroughly discredited Brannar
Plan through a system of so-callec
production subsidies"
Administration forces seemed
due for another major defeat late
today on at least one of three
especially controversial proposals
to ban price rollbacks. The frs
test was expected to come on ar
amendment to ban further roll.
backs on farm products.
After acting on that issue a.
we'll as more strongly opposed eff.
forts to cancel an existing rollbacl
on beef prices and prohibit future
rollbacks on industrial products
the House probably will move al
a faster pace.
Passage Possible by Thursday.
Passage of an economic control.
bill might come by Thursday. Ad.
ministratlon leaders hope thai
some of their numerous setback;
in tentative unrecorded votes lasl
week would be reversed wher
formal rollcalls are held before
final action on the House bill.
In the administrative field
meanwhile, farmers had aSsur.
ances from Defense Mobilizel
Charles E. Wilson today that they
will not be Disseminated against
in Government ALLEGATION of scarce
materials.
Noting complaints by some farm
leaders and members of Congress
that agriculture's needs for steel
fertilizer and chemicals are no,
being sufficiently met, Mr.. Wilson
stated in a letter to Secretary Of
Agriculture Brannan:
You may be sure that insofar
as possible every consideration will
be given to the needs of the farm
ers in order that agricultural pro-
duction which is so vital to the
strength of our Nation may be
increased"
Disclaims Enmity to Controls.
In his statement made last
night Mr.. Wolcott charged that
there is a deliberate campaign
under way to make it appear that
of the House, including
an overwhelming majority of Re-
publicans and not a few patriotic
Democrats, are sabotaging price
wage and credit controls by any
change made in the bill"
He announced that he anc
countless of my colleagues" will,
vote for controls legislation anc
pass a bill to extend the Defense
Production Act which includes
price, wage, rent, credit and other
controls.
But he asserted that the bill
being debated in the House and
nearing a final vote contains fea.
hres that are "as dishonest a.
anything uncovered by the Ke.
fauver Committee"
Republican Record Cited.
Accusing certain elements of
the press and radio" of misrepre.
senting the attitude of the House
in general and Republican mem
bers in particular ca the pending
controls legislation, Mr.. Wolcott
contended:
IF the American people were
being correctly informed, they
would realize that the Truman
Administration has endangered
the entire controls program by
attempting to use the current
emergency to grab new power.
that would be palpable only to &
British socialist"
Mr.. Wolcott recalled that Con.
gress last August initiated ane
passed the Defense Production
Act authorizing controls on prices
wages and credit. He noted thai
he and 140 other Republican.
voted for that measure.
Charges Truman. Delayed.
Although the law became effect.
i've in September and prices were
going up by leaps and bounds
President Truman "blindly" re.
fused to act until late January, Mr.
Wolcott said.
when it recently came to re,
new the controls act passed las
year." he charged, "the admins.
tration and its coterie of socialis
planners decided that here was tn,
chance to hitch-hike a free rid,
for a number of their pet social
istic schemes.
''It is a scandalous picture which
is being kept from the American
people. 1t is a national disgrac,
when the Socialist schemers il
this administration trade upon al
emergency that is costing Ameri
can boys their lives in Korea"