Evening star., 1952-06-25
By Robert K. Walsh

- ASSPASAASoA- A-oPOAAoOlC AAON0
to direct" instead of merely re-
quest President Truman to use
the Taft-Hartley Act in the steel
strike added fire to a House fight
today on whether to continue
price and wage controls.
The debate became so heated
and prolonged that it almost
ended hopes of leaders that the
House could take final action op
the bill late today.
Meeting two hours earlier than
usual. the House began consid-
Grafton of a proposed amendment
by Representative Smith, Demo-
crat, of Virginia, to request the
President to invoke the Taft
Hartley Act in an effort to halt
the steel strike. The Senate all
ready has adopted such a pro.
posal.
Brown Sponsors Proposal.
Representative Brown, Republic
can. of Ohio, offered a substitute
amendment that would replace
the word request" by direct"
1t was Immediately denounced by
administration Democrats as UNI
constitutional.
Majority Leader Mccormack
described it as showing "how
drunk with power the coalition is"
He apparently referred to Repub-
licanS and Southern Democrats
who have combined to adopt
numerous tentative amendments
to the controls bill since House de-
bate began last week.
Chairman Spence, of the Bank
ing Committee asked that the
Brown amendment be ruled out
of order on the ground that it
went far beyond the power Of
Congress. He declared that any
attempt to order the President in
a matter of this kind would put
the House in ridiculous posi-
tion.f
Mr.. Brown contended, however.
that his amendment was proper
because Mr.. Truman two weeks
ago asked joint session of Con-
gress for instructions" on what
to do in the steel crisis.
Ruled in Order.
The Brown amendment was
ruled in order by Representative
Mills, Democrat, of Arkansas. MIR.
Mills, who was presiding during
the debate, told the House that he
was not ruling on any constitu-
tional question but merely on
whether the amendment was
germane to the bill under dis
cuSSion.
Mr.. Smith explained that the
only purpose the proposed request
to the President was "just to say
that the President ought to exc
cute the law of the land" He
mentioned previous statements
that the steelworkers might not
observe the injunction proceedings
Of the Taft-Hartley Act in this
case. He declared that mo organ
ization in this country is bigger
than the law and no minority is
going to stand up against the
law"
In the later debate on the
Brown amendment to direct" the
President. Mr.. Brown declared:
Are we members of Congress
going to be mice or men and
merely beseech the President to
do something? President Truman
came up here at a suddenly ar
ranged joint session and asked us
for instructions. We have a per-
feet right to do more than merely
request him to enforce the law
which this Congress enacted"
Amendment Ends Most Curbs.
The House has severely whit
tied the control bill in preliminary
voting which was to be made
final-or reversed-today. Among
other things, it has adopted an
amendment by Representative
Tale. Republican. of Iowa which
would just about wipe out price
controls while leaving wage curbs
in force.
A number Of Republicans and
Southern Democrats were re-
ported planning to go beyond that
today and vote to let the whole
controls program die.
And some administration Lead
ers predicted the bill has been
made so unsatisfactory - from
their point of view-that 1t may
be rejected outright on a final
vote.
That would mean the end of all
controls unless Congress should
pass a short-term extension Of tho
present law.