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Show 'Corrective' Labor Legislation ! To Prevent Slump Urged WASHINGTON, Dee. 12 (INS) The house postwar economic policy committee Thursday urged enactment of "corrective" labor legislation to "prevent a serious business slump." In Its final report the committee commit-tee also recommended that next year's national budget be pared to $30,000,000,000 in order to provide "some reduction" In federal taxes and permit a "substantial surplus" to reduce the war-swollen public debt The report was' released as Sen. Byrd (D., Va.), chairman of the joint congressional economy committee, com-mittee, declared that he is ready to line up with senate Republicans on corrective labor legislation, but said their tax cut plans might only "accelerate a depression." .At the same time. Rep. Case (R S. D.), sponsor of the labor disputes dis-putes bill which President Truman vetoed earlier this year, predicted that the new congress will pass legislation to curb John L. Lewis, United Mine Workers chief. The house committee's report took Issue with widely published opinions of economists that a business busi-ness recession it In the offing. Devoting a large portion of Its report to Industrial relations, the committee strongly urged "full-fledged" "full-fledged" teamwork between labor and management "to eliminate Immediately Im-mediately the current difficulties so that we can avoid a recession." The report observed that the United 8tates has the greatest buying power and the largest de mands for goods In Its history, and stated, "There is nothing wrong with the country that hard work and resultant production will not cure." The committee recommended "prompt action ... by the appropriate appro-priate congressional committees, so that sound, constructive not punitive legislation may result." Discussing the federal budget the report stated: "The committee feels that expenditures ex-penditures for the fiscal year ending end-ing June 30, 1948, can be reduced U $30,000,000,000 without Interfering Inter-fering with national defense and the normal functions of the government gov-ernment and that a further substantial sub-stantial reduction can be made during the following year." To meet the housing emergency, the committee called for greater emphasis on remodeling and reconverting re-converting existing structures, and proposed "a far larger quota" of low coat rental units be pushed to completion. The report recommended that the general powers of O P A be ended Jan. 31, and that the second war powers act be allowed to lapse on March 31. Other leading recommendations Included proposals that the surplus property act be simplified to speed disposal of war goods; that unemployment unem-ployment compensation coverage be broadened; that old-age insurance insur-ance be extended to cover about 12,000,000 persons now excluded; that public construction be limited to new projects of immediate necessity, nec-essity, and that plans be prepared for work which could be expanded as private building programs ' slacken. |