Congress' Week

Congress was hard at work on labor legislation in the Senate (see The Nation), on foreign commitments in the House (see Foreign Relations). In between, the House tackled rent control.

The bill brought out by the G.O.P. leadership would extend rent controls until next January--and for three months longer if the President thought it necessary. But it would abolish Government controls over building materials and new construction. It brought immediate howls from both sides of the fence.

Cried Michigan's Paul Shafer: "A year ago the Republicans fought rent control. The Democrats were for it. If they were crazy last year, why should we be this year?" Big-"city Congressmen were just as angry for the opposite reason. They claimed that a provision permitting a 15% rent boost in return for a two-year lease was putting a shotgun in the landlord's hands.

By 8 p.m. the opponents of control had pushed through an amendment permitting any local government to kill controls whenever it wished. Then a motion to send the whole bill back to committee was approved. But at the last minute, Majority Leader Charlie Halleck rushed to the chair to postpone announcement of the results, swung enough votes to save the bill, 197 to 189.

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