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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS GOP Takes Over 80th Congress; President Cuts Wartime Powers; Industrial Pay Reaches Peak . Released bv Western Newspaper Union , (KIJITOK'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are (hose of Western Newspaper Union's news analysis and not necessarily of this newspaper.) t .&fy.. ' - , ; , : t if K l , a &L V., .... , ?e , Jj i i 1 - t -, -r v - - -J s . s ! f i 1 v 3-1 -V I ' ? 1 1? , . 1 POTATOES: Huge Loss As much as 20 million bushels of government-owned potatoes may go to waste following U. S. support of the 1946 crop in the face of a sagging sag-ging market. Originally, the government held title to 100 million bushels as the result of a bumper harvest. Making Mak-ing good on its agreement to maintain main-tain prices at at least 90 per cent of parity, the U. S. bought substantial substan-tial stocks and covered other commitments com-mitments with loans, redeemable if the market rose. The huge waste is expected to follow from rotting of the potatoes in inadequate storage on the farms. To escape total loss, the government govern-ment resold millions of bushels to distillers and livestock feeders at bargain prices. Distillers of beverage bever-age and industrial alcohol bought over 26 million bushels. About 525,-000 525,-000 bushels were resold for export to famine areas, with the amount held down by perishability and high transport costs. Public institutions and school lunch programs received about one million bushels of the surplus potatoes pota-toes free. U. N.: J Pursue Disarmament The question of disarmament pro- 1 ceeded on its labrynthine course in . the United Nations. As a struggle shaped over formulation formu-lation of an atomic control measure, meas-ure, the Russians asked the 11-na-tion security council to proceed full steam ahead on disarmament without with-out waiting for final action on nu- . clear energy. Declaring that dis-armament dis-armament is the most important factor for strenghtening peace and security, the Reds called, for an agreement within three months at the latest. Meanwhile, the pesky question of the veto snagged deliberations' on control of atomic energy. While the United Nations' atomic energy commission approved of the U. S. ; plan and sent it to the security coun- ' cil to be worked out, Russia expressed ex-pressed opposition to the provision that no Big Five power be permitted permit-ted to apply the veto to escape punishment pun-ishment for violating regulations. Since the Reds can use the veto in shaping control in the council, however, how-ever, prolonged discussions loomed, j I Opening of SOtli congress saw Republican majority in limelight. At top, Senators Vanrlenberg (Mich.), Wherry (Neb.) and White (Me.) In middle, Senators Robertson (Wyo.), Bricker (Ohio) and Taft (Ohio). Bottom, Senators Cain (Wash.), Thye (Minn.) and McCarthy (Wis.) CONGRESS: Ready to Go Taxes and labor legislation were scheduled for early consideration as the 80th congress convened under Republican leadership. Veteran GOP luminaries held the reins as the session got underway. un-derway. While seniority was acknowledged ac-knowledged in the naming of the party's congressional command, the men named have proven their mettle in legislative wars and qualify for the positions. One of the outstanding figures in the bi-partisan foreign policy developed devel-oped by Secretary of State Byrnes, Arthur Vandenberg (Mich.) was the choice for president pro tern of the senate. Quiet, able Wallace White (Me.) took over the majority leadership leader-ship of the senate while aggressive, conservative Kenneth Wherry (Neb.) was in line as the party whip in the upper chamber. Joe Martin (Mass.) was the unanimous choice for speaker of the house but a battle developed for the majority leadership between be-tween the Taft and Dewey forces. Although charged with being a Dewey man, Charles A. . Halleck (Ind.) vowed impartiality impartial-ity and obtained the position after a brief struggle. It is within with-in the power of a majority leader lead-er to advance or push certain legislation, hence the importance of the post to factions seeking to " build up their prestige. LIVESTOCK: Halt Mexican Imports Veterinarians were scheduled to check every Mexican animal imported import-ed into the U. S. since reopening of the border October 17 for the dreaded dread-ed hoof and mouth disease following reports that the malady had broken out in three Mexican states. At the same time, Republican congressmen con-gressmen revealed their intention to , probe President Truman's reopening of the border last fall in the effort to provide additional livestock to relieve re-lieve the acute meat famine then prevailing. It was charged that Mexico never has eradicated the disease dis-ease because of lax supervision of imports from other South American countries afflicted with the sickness. Of seven outbreaks of the hoof and mouth disease in the U. S. since 1870, the last two occurred in 1924. Highly communicable, hoof and mouth disease blisters the feet and mouth of cattle, affecting their ability abil-ity to move freely and eat normally. WHITE HOUSE: Steals Thunder Beating congress to the punch, President Truman officially proclaimed pro-claimed the end of hostilities to terminate ter-minate government powers under 20 laws and mark 33 others for expiration expira-tion within six months to five years. Loosely, the period of hostilities is supposed to cover actual fighting. Mr. Truman did not call for an immediate cessation of the states of emergency proclaimed in 1939 and 1941 nor of the state of war, reveal ing that he would recommend ac- ! tion on these measures to congress, j A state of emergency is designed to cover any situation deemed critical to the country while a state of war is considered to prevail until the signing of peace treaties. ! In terminating hostilities, the j President: Reduced wantime taxes on liquor, liq-uor, beer, wines, fur, luggage, jewelry, jewel-ry, telephone and telegraph service, transportation, electric bulbs and billiard and pool tables to prewar levels. Ended government power to seize privately owned mines and plants. Scheduled the end of price supports sup-ports for farm products for 1948. LABOR: Pay Up Losses of 107,475,000 man days of work during the first 11 months of 1946 due to strikes partly were offset, by increased wages and shorter hours over the comparable 1945 period, pe-riod, the department of labor reported. re-ported. Time lost in walkouts set an all-time all-time peak, even topping the embattled embat-tled postwar year of 1919, the department de-partment said. As against the 107,-475,000 107,-475,000 man days lost this year, 30,307,000 were lost in 1945; 8,336,000 in 1944, and 16.089,000 for the 1935-'39 prewar period. Industrial pay hit new tops following follow-ing the year's bitter labor disputes. Average weekly earnings in the bituminous bi-tuminous coal industry rose to $62.54 on an increased woTk week, but other oth-er pay jumped appreciably despite shorter time. Figures for different industries follow: Averace Average weekly weekly ' earnings change hrs. change All .S45.68 11.5 40.4 2.8 Iron, steel, and products ... 49.85 7.6 40.3 6.0 Blast furnaces, steel works. rolling mills. 50.43 S,2 38.6 92 Electric machy. 48.50 4-14.3 40.9 .8 Autos 52.80 11.9 38.3 .2 Meat packing. 43.06 3.9 37.5 19.4 Oil refining ... 57.39 4- 8.0 40.0 5.1 Tires, tubes ... 57.19 4-15.1 38.1 5.1 .. 61.82 4- 9.9 39.2 4.6 Metal iron. copper. lead. 49.58 4- 6.8 41.0 7.6 Telephone 44.30 4- 6.3 39.1 7.5 FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Border Problem As first intimated in Secretary of State Byrnes' historic Stuttgart address ad-dress September 6, the U. S. will press for revision of Germany's eastern border when the Big Three meet in Moscow March 10 to discuss dis-cuss a peace treaty for the Reich. Backed by Britain, the U. S. will seek restoration of Pomeranian Pomeran-ian and Brandenberg farmlands given to Poland by Russia after the end of the war. While the U. S. intends in-tends to press for a return of this territory, it will accede to the cession ces-sion of the rich industrial section of Silesia and half of East Prussia to the Poles. The U. S. position for restoration of Pomerania and Brandenberg to Germany is based on the fact that these regions comprise 25 per cent of the Reich's best farmland and the country would suffer a serious food deficiency if the land is not returned. News in Brief . . . The 30th anniversary of the Monroe Auto Equipment company, largest independent producer of hydraulic hy-draulic shock absorbers, points up the phenomenal growth of the motor mo-tor vehicle and allied industries during dur-ing the last three decades. In 1939. the industries' sales topped 4 billion dollars to lead all other manufacturing manufac-turing enterprises. Installation of new facilities has enabled Monroe to boost shock absorber output to 25.000 daily. i HOUSE: -Assail Reds Noting a softening in the Russian Rus-sian attitude following U. S. implementation imple-mentation of a "get tough" policy with the Soviets, the special house committee on postwar economic planning headed by Representative Colmer (Dem., Miss.) and dominated dom-inated by Democrats, urged a further fur-ther tightening of relations with Moscow until it meets its international interna-tional obligations and agrees to fuU control of atomic energy. Drawn after a group of committee com-mittee members had toured Europe, Eu-rope, Russia and the Middle East, the report declared that an affirmation of reports that the Soviets were using German plants for rearming would justify justi-fy a renunciation of the Potsdam Pots-dam agreement and a demand for the Communists to vacate , the eastern occupation zone. Pointing up Russian rearmament rearma-ment policies, the report stated that the Soviets were concentrating concen-trating on development of heavy industry convertible for war in their new five year plan. Until the Russians agreed to play ball with the Allies, the committee recommended that the U. S. with-' hold appreciable -financial assistance assist-ance from the Soviets, curb the extension ex-tension of technical assistance and industrial exports, and license the- sales of American firms to the Reds COLLEGE: Peak Enrollment Taking full advantage of the G.I.' bill ol rights, vets constitute a large percentage of undergraduates attending at-tending educational institutions, a survey of 688 universities and colleges col-leges disclosed. Compiled by Dr. Raymond Walters, Wal-ters, president of the University of Cincinnati, the study showed that of 1,718,862 students at the 688 schools, 714,477 were ex G.I.s. In addition, 150,000 vets were enrolled at 650 junior colleges and thousands more at several hundred other schools, bringing the grand total of G.I.s to slightly more than half of 2,000,000 students. With ambitious vets availing themselves of generous educational opportunities, current full-time enrollments en-rollments at the 688 top universities and colleges are at peak levels, the survey showed. Roughly, they are 57 per cent above the 1939 figure and twice that of 1945. Two men are enrolled to every woman whereas the wartime ratio was three women to two men. DEBT: War Tells Showing the effects of total war, the nation's indebtedness stood at 400.5 billion dollars at the end of 1945, according to a survey of the department of commerce. While total debt doubled during dur-ing the 1941-'45 period, federal debt jumped five times. In 1945 alone, federal debt rose 42 billion bil-lion dollars while slate, municipal munici-pal and private obligations declined de-clined 7 billion. POWER: Increase Service The year 1946 was a period of phenomenal growth in the electric utility industry in the number of customers served, with nearly 2,000,-000 2,000,-000 new customers added. Another high record established in 1946 was the increase of 100 kilowatt hours in average residential consumption con-sumption of electricity to set an all time high average of 1.330 kilowatt hours used per customer. |