Work Done

Congress had a busy, statesmanlike week, and something to show for it: a mighty heave to raise taxes; a tentative nod toward postwar world cooperation; a jarring blow at John L. Lewis.

P:Ignoring Administration pleas for moderation, ignoring organized labor's threats to purge them, come election time, the House passed (231-10-141) the Smith-Connally strike-and-labor-control bill. Aimed squarely at John Lewis, the bill bristles with restrictions on labor. Mildest Administration slur at the measure, during hearings, came from Labor Secretary Madam Frances Perkins (who had presented her usual package of charts and statistics to show that there are fewer than a microscopic number of strikes): "The bill is most unwise." The bill went on to the Senate-House conference committee.

P:After five months of wrangling, the House passed a compromise pay-as-you-go tax-collection bill, 256-10-114. Next day the Senate followed suit, 62-to-19. Not quite the Ruml Plan, it was the nearest thing to it which could get past the White House.

P:The Senate approved, 59-10-23, and sent to the President the resolution extending the Reciprocal Trade Agreements for another two years. The vote--For: 41 Democrats, 18 Republicans; Against: 14 Republicans, eight Democrats, one Progressive. The most significant but least noted fact about this vote was the stand of the 18 Republicans in favor of the reciprocal-trade policy. If they had voted against, the bill would have hung on a tie vote--and, if the going had been that close, might have been defeated. This week the President signed the bill.

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