Evening star., 1962-04-17
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at greater length with Secre-
tary Of Commerce Hodges and
the Presidents Council Of Eco
nomic Advisers.
Democratic support and some
Republican skepticism has
greeted the proposal for nom
partisan inquiry.
| Senator Douglas, Democrat
of Illinois, vice chairman Of the
Senate-House Economic Com
mittee. applauded this as offer
ing a way to get basic informa-
ton he said Congress may not
have the time nor facilities to
dig up.
Senator Kefauver said he
thought it would be very useful
to set UP such a commission.
He said 1t could supplement the
work of his own subcommittee
in sitting cost information in
an effort to arrive at a fair
price for steel.
williams SkepticaI
But Senator John j. Will
liams, Republican of Delaware,
expressed skepticism as to
whether such q commission set
up by a Democratic President
whose presSures led to a roll
back OF steel price increases
could be counted on for non
political findings.
THE way things are going,
can anything in this situation
be nonpartiSan?" he asked.
Senate Republican Leader
Dirksen said the results would
depend on who the President
appointed as members Of the
commission. He said he hopes
any inquiry by such a group
wouldn't be punitive"
Senator Margaret Chase
Smith. Republican of Maine,
told a conference of Republi-
can women here last night she
could applaud the results OBJ
tanned by Mr.. Kennedy in roll
ing back the steel price rise but
could not condone his tactics.
She said if the President
could control prices in one in
duStry, he also could control
wages. She said if price-wage
controls are needed, Congress
ought to act.
Action Denounced
Senator Goldwste-, Republi-
can Of Arizona, speaking before
the same group, won applause
with an attack on the methods
Mr.. Kennedy used.
When we have a President
who takes it upon himself to set
prices in this country" he said,
then I suggest every man,
woman and child knows what
we are up against +. . our oppo-
Sition is committed to change
our way of life.
Later. at a news conference
in New York. Senator Goldwater
called Mr.. Kennedy's action a
threat to the free enterprise
SYSTEM having very serious
implications for the future of
business.
Senator Goldwater said he
would like to know the reasons
for the steel price increases buS.
that it was nobody's business
whether the prices 60 up or
down but theirs"
| In the Senate yesterday, SEN
ator Humphrey said the inquiry
he was proposing should not
De conducted in a partisan
spirit OF a vendetta"
Report in a Year
He called for a report within
a year on the condition of steel
plants, the need for moderniza-
tion and automation, require
mentS Of expanded investment,
productivity increases per work.
er per hour and financing needs
to keep American steel competi-
tive in world markets.
Senator Hartke, Democrat of
Indiana, said Congress ought
to act to provide a realistic
depreciation allowance" for
steel and other industries so
they could modernize their
plants to meet foreign compe-
tition.
The IL firms on the Kefauver
groups subpoena list are United
States Steel Corp, Bethlehem
Steel Corp, Republic Steel Corp.
Inland Steel Co., McLouth
Steel Corp. Of Detroit, hrmco
Steel Corp, Wheeling Steel
Corp, Youngstown Sheet &
Tube Co.. Jones & Laughlin
Steel Corp, National Steel