Evening star., 1952-06-20
End Of Controls
Given Tentative
o. K. in House
Amendment Excluding
Unrutioned Items
Approved, l46-88

The House today voted tenta-
lively to end price controls on
virtually all consumer goods. The
vote was subject to reconsidera-
ton.
BY a vote of 146 to 88, the
House decided there should be no
price controls on items which are
mot rationed or allocated or on
items which have been selling at
below ceiling prices for at least
three months.
At present no goods are ra-
toned. and only a few metals are
being allocated.
The effect of the amendment,
Iif it remains in the bill to extend
the Defense Production Act,
would be to remove just about
Jail price controls or force the
Office of Price Sterilization to
order rationing of things it wants
kept under price ceilings.
The amendment was offered by
Representative Tale, Republican.
of Iowa, and supported heavily by
Republicans. Democrats almost
solidly opposed it, but many were
absent.
Mr.. Tale said the amendment
would encourage free enterprise.
Spence Leads Foes of Plan.
Opponents. led by Chairman
lSpence of the House Banking
Committee, claimed 1t would
amount to killing controls.
Controls could be reimposed
whenever materials are allocated
or rationed.
I'm essence, this is saying there
will be no price control law" de-
clared Representative Hays, DEM
ocrat, of Ohio, who opposed the
amendment.
Mr.. Spence told the House it
should face squarely the issue Of
price controls and not destroy
them by "just whiting away"
The Tale amendment. Mr..
Spence added, would destroy the
machinery of the controls admin
istfation by abolishing the reports
on which controls are based. Once
controls were lifted under the
Tale provision, reports now re-
quired by dealers would no longer
have to be made.
Specific Provisions.
The amendment directed the
lifting of controls on all materials
which are not in short supply or
which have been selling at below
ceiling prices for at least three
months.
Then it says materials shall not
be considered, in short supply un-
less they are being rationed or
allocated for civilian use.
Before adopting the Talle
amendment, the House beat a
substitute by Representative Cole.
Republican, of Kansas which
would have lifted controls in 90
days on prices and services not in
short supply or not important in
relation to business or living costs.
with a periodic review of the price
situation every 80 days. That
lost by voice vote.
Taft Law Demand Expected.
A coalition of Republicans and
Southern Democrats was expected
to be successful in writing into
the controls act a recommended
ton that President Truman use
the Taft-Hartley law in the steel
strike.
Administration leaders conceded
they do not have the votes to
block such an action. The same
situation applies to an expected
move to strip the Wage Stabili-
zation Board of its authority to
act in industrial disputes.
j House Starts Early.
The House got down to work
two hours early today. But there
!, was some expectation final votes
on the measure would have to
!, wait until next week.
i If the House urges the Presi--
dent to invoke the Taft-Hartley
Law in the steel strike, it would
match the Senate's action. An
!, amendment by Senator Byrd,
Democrat, of Virginia, to that ef-
feet. was written into the wage,
price and rent controls act by that
body.