Evening star., 1952-06-26
Final House Action
On Controls Slowed
By Attack on ArnaII
By Robert K. Walsh

Charges that Price Stabilizer
Ellis Arnall spends too much time
in speech making and lobbying
touched of another torrid wrangle
today as the House aimed at show
down votes on the economic con-
troll extension bill.
Despite the prolonged dispute
involving Mr.. Arnall, administra-
tion leaders predicted the House
would take final action on the
measure late today. They also
hoped that final roll calls would
reverse tentative tallies such as
the 118-to-87 count late yesterday
that would end all price and wage
controls July 81.
The fight over Mr.. Arnall broke
out when Representative McKin-
non, Democrat, of California, be-
gan to read letter from the OPS
director.
Grocery Chain Action Cited.
The letter asserted that big
grocery chains were pushing an
amendment, testatively adopted
yesterday. The proposal would
allow the fixing of wholesaler and
retailer ceiling prices on an indi-
vidual Unsteady Of industry wide
basis and would permit inclusion
Of the individual dealers Gus
tomary markups before the Ko-
rean fighting.
The letter was finally read only
after Representative Wolcott, Re-
publican. of Michigan objected
and was defeated on a 141-to-113I
vote.
Mr.. Arnall.- protesting in gen.
eral against various amendments
that would end or cripple con-
trolls, predicted that the individ-
ual-basis amendment would great
1y boost food prices. He singled
out Safeway Stores, Inc, in FORE
casting possible increases of 10 to-
IL cents pound on beef.
Representative Cole, Repub-
dcan. Of Kansas. sponsor of the
amendment. declared that Mr.
Arnall knows it is absolutely
untrue that big grocery chains.
prompted the amendment"
The main protest was voiced by
Representative Wolcott. He con-
tended that the reading of letter
from the OPS chief on the floor
of the House was as unjustifiedI
as would be the appearance of a.
chain-store representative on the
floor.
Lobbying Tactics Hit.
I'VE in Congress should protest
against lobbying by administrative
agencies as strongly as we would
protest against such lobbying by
any segment of our economy" Mr..
Wolcott continued. ''Mr. Arnall|
Is merely a public relations man
for OPS and is not administering
price stabilization.
THE Senate watchdog COM
mittee ought to ask him how many
hours he has spent at his desk in
the last two months. He and
Roger Putnam Economic Stabili-
cation DIRECTORY showed a lament
able lack of familiarity with their
problems and agencies when they
appeared before House commit
tees.
Mr.. Arnall was defended by
Banking Committee Chairman
Spence, Democrat, Of Kentucky.
Mr.. Spence accused Mr.. Wolcott
Of going out Of his way to make a
partisan personal attack on Mr..
Arnall. The committee chairman
repeated his earlier statements
that many of the changes tenta-
lively voted by the House would
wreck the controls program, in
crease the cost of living and en-
danger national security.
Rent Controls Provided.
Rent controls and ALLEGATION and
priority authorizations are still
in the House bill. The measure
also contains an amendment
adopted earlier yesterday, 100 to
133. to request President Truman
to use Taft-Hartley Act provi-
sions in an attempt to end the
steel strike.
The House bill, as chopped or
otherwise changed mainly by a
coalition Of Republicans and
Southern Democrats, differs
materially from a bill the Senate
passed. So to 18. on June IL to
continue controls until February
28. But the Senate bill also in
cludes request that the President
invoke the Taft-Hartley Act.
The House bill would continue