AVERT DISASTER!

Grey River Argus, 5 January 1946, Page 5

AVERT DISASTER!

TRUMAN’S APPEAL To American People ACTION BY CONGRESS URGED (Rec. 11.20) WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 An appeal to the American people to urge Congressmen to 'take immediate action on strike control legislation and other pending measures to avert what he termed an economic disaster was made by President Truman in a broadcast. He~declared that a handful of men on strategic Congressional committees Were blocking action on his legislative programme designed to carry the United States towards full employment. “1946 is our year of decision,” Mr. Truman said'. “We must lay the foundation of an economic structure to serve for generations. 1 wish I could say that everything is in perfect order, that we are on the way to eternal prosperity, but I cannot. The months ahead will be difficult. In my message to Congress on September 6, 1945, I outlined legislative proposals to meet the problems ahead. Progress on most oi them has been distressingly slow. “Congress has done its full share in carrying out its responsibilities for foreign affairs by approving the United Nations Organisation Charter, extending a programme of reciprocal trade agreements, approving Bretton Woods and supporting U.N.R.R.A., but we do not find a similar record of achievement regarding equally serious and' difficult domestic problems in the reconversion. We have gone a long way towards getting workers in factories back to peacetime jobs. We are producing more goods now than anyone darede expect a few months ago. But we are a long way from the goal and 'without the stimulus of war there is decreased co-operation and team work in the relations between industry and labour.

Many obstacles have been thrown in our path as' we tried to avert the dangers of inflation and deflation. 1 recommended fact-finding procedures which can go a long way towards meeting labour problems. I hoped Congress would either follow the recommendations or at least propose its own solution. It has done neither. Tlie purposes of my recommendations have been misrepresented by some Labour and Management spokesmen. There is nothing harmful to Labour in establishing fact-finding boards. Labour’s right to strike remains invoilate, but there is no reason why strikes cannot be postponed thirty days. On the other hand there is nothing harmful to management. Detailed > information obtained from company books will not be revealed. General Motors refused to co-oper-ate with a fact-finding board. It’ cannot be compelled to co-operate unless a statute is passed giving the board power to subpoena. That is now up to Congress. The time has come for every citizen to make his own opinion known to Congressmen. Once that is done you may be sure results will follow.

"Equally important is the question of keeping prices on an even keel,” the President continued. “Pressure groups are working in and outside Congress to eliminate price controls and let prices rise without interference. To-day pressures for inflation are many times stronger than those following the world war which caused the 1920 depression. It is important to get a high volum.e of production immediately, since production is the greatest weapon against inflation. However, until enough goods are made to supply- demands the Government must keep prices down. We are all anxious to eliminate controls, but price and rent controls must be maintained for many months. “Congress has done _ very little about recommended legislation on, firstly, full employment, secondly, supplementary federal unemployment insurance benefits, thirdly, outlawing racial discrimination in employment, and, fourthly, raising the minimum wage level. Time is running out on these and other problems, but I do not intend a blanket criticism of Congress. It is individual commitees which are retarding action on bills by failing to report them to the floor of Congress. I am asking commitees at least to give the people’s representatives a chance to vote yes or no on these vital issues. If my measures do not meet with the approval of Congress it is my lei vent wish that Congress will formulate its own measures. That is definitely the responsibility of Congress. What the American people want is action.” The President continued: “Of the three major components of our standard of living—food, clothing, and housing—housing presents the most difficult problem. 1946 will probably be a peak year for food production, and clothing is also expected to reach a satisfactory production level, but we urgently need five million additional homes, exclusive of the replacement of millions of existing substandard dwellings in cities and on farms. The greatest number of homes constructed in any single year before the war was less than a million. Therefore it is clear that this is an emergency problem calling for an emergency method of solution. I have therefore appointed an emergency housing official, empowered to use every agency and resource of the Government to break off bottlenecks and produce materials for housing. However, it is primarily a job for private enterprise. It is a Government responsibility to provide extra housing only when private enterprise is unable to do so.

“Members of Congress are now at home. I urge you to tell the public servants your views concerning the grave problems facing the country. I fully appreciate the many problems facing Congressn«?n. I seek no conflict with Congress. _ Orderly procedure in Congress is indispensable to the democratic process, but orderly procedure does not mean needless delay. Stable world relationships require full production and ful] employment. Voices of disixfiy, and timidity among us say we cannot do it. ’These I challenge. We cannot shirk the leadership of postwar world problems. Our economy will not stand by timid men, mistrustful of each other. We cannot face 1946 in a‘. spirit of drift and irresolution. The men and women who made the country great and kept R free .were plain people with courage and faith. Let us justify this heritage”. '