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Show '' ?v'; 7-in WASHINGTON ' ' Jfly Wolter Shead j WNU Corroipondonf WNU Washington Burem. 1616 tire St.. N. W. Adjournment of Congress Will Give Breathing Spell WITH the Easter recess out of the way, as things are shaping shap-ing up now, congress may adjourn about August 1 to give its members a chance to build their political fences for the November elections. All representatives and a third of the senators must face the voters this fall. It may be a good thing, for with congress in recess until after the first of the year, the nation can get down to work for real production without the disturbing influences of proposed legislation in the immediate imme-diate ofTlng. Furthermore, everything congress has tackled this year has been approached ap-proached from the political angle. The members have been loath to take a stand on any controversial subject which might change a vote one way or another. As a result, re-sult, the administration program has been hamstrung . . . continuation continu-ation of social reforms has been delayed de-layed and domestic legislation has been pigeonholed, made Innocuous or just held in committees without action. Between now and August 1 important impor-tant things may be expected to happen. hap-pen. President Truman's popularity, at bottom as he finished his first year in office, will be on the upgrade up-grade from now on. Increased production of consumer goods, holding hold-ing the line on inflation, relaxing relax-ing of price controls from time to time as scarcity of goods eases, continued con-tinued heavy demand for farm products prod-ucts at good prices, and a generally satisfying foreign policy, all will tend to make for greater good feeling feel-ing toward the President. The low point was reached during the senate hearing on the Pauley nomination. Little Drastic Legislation Congress will extend the draft with curtailments on age limits, no fathers, fath-ers, increased pay and shorter service; serv-ice; the veterans housing bill may become law, with some subsidy Included, In-cluded, and price ceilings on new homes, probably not on existing homes; the President's peacetime military training bill likely will not be enacted this year. There is every likelihood, despite the President's demand and his castigation of navy lobbying, that the army-navy merger merg-er will not ve voted, at least until after congress reconvenes. In spite of opposition of the farm organizations, organiza-tions, food subsidies may. be extended ex-tended until January 1st; OPA will be continued but with great trimming trim-ming of its power. The Pace bill making farm labor a part of the parity price likely will not get through the senate although It has been passed twice by the house. The minimum wage bill, meaningless in Its present form with the Russell parity amendment, will be vetoed, as announced by the President. Another fair employment practices bill, beaten in the senate by a southern filibuster, likely will come up In the house but will not get far. Amendments Amend-ments to the social security laws may not be considered and neither will various health measures, such as a compulsory compul-sory tax for doctors and hospital bills. There may be some additional addi-tional appropriations for public health and hospitals in federal grants to be matched by the states. The fifty million dollar school lunch bill passed by the house likely will be upped in the senate to provide more money, up to a hundred million. The power lobby has effectively bottled up the various regional authority au-thority bills for the Missouri valley, the Columbia river valley and oth-' oth-' ers, and in all probability there will be no vote on any of these meas- ures this year. Will Approve British Loan Out guess is that the British loan will be given congressional approval approv-al after some of the opposition congressmen con-gressmen get their spleen on the question out of their systems. And there's another important measure, one which the President has several times pointed to, and that's the matter of Presidential succession. President Truman is planning a trip to the Philippines on July 4 ... he is planning other forays about the country, but he appears ap-pears to be a healthy individual, so the congress will probably let action on this legislation slide also, in spite of the uncertainty which now exists over legal succession to the Presidency. There is a rash of labor reform bills and some in mild form stand some chance of passage. But most assuredly there will be no drastic anti-labor legislation before the elections elec-tions in November. That would indeed in-deed be fool-hardy from a political standpoint. In the meantime there are rumors around Washington that Sec. Clinton Clin-ton Anderson will resign his Job as head of USDA. From all the information, infor-mation, however, that your Home Town Reporter can obtain, the secretary sec-retary will not resign, although he probably does feel like it. |