SWEEPING PROGRAMME

Chronicle (Levin), 6 January 1949, Page 5

SWEEPING PROGRAMME

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter

Higher Taxes; Additional Ecohomic . s Controls j President Truman's Proposals

, Caoyright) e

Received Tlhursdav, 10 a.m. 1 ) ; WASHINGTON, January 5. President Truman today laid before a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives a series of sweeping proposals for higher taxes, more economic controls, heavier Government expenditure, widespread social reforms, increased civil liberties and freer opportunities for organised labour. The proposals, whieh constitute the point by point fulfilment of President Truman's election campaign promises, were oontained in his "State of Union" speech — the traditional address given every year by the President to outline the legislation he wants passed in the next 12 months — which surpassed any of President Roosevelt's programmes in both scope and liberalism.

Specifically, President Truman calied for authority to raise taxa- , tion by 4,000,000,000 dollars, mainly irom additional corporate taxes, an eight point anti-inflation programme, including standby price controls and limited wage controls, the outright repeal of the antilabour Taft-Hartley Act, the expansion of the social security laws, the institution of a national health insurance scheme, more Governmenl aid to provide better schools, low rent housing and sum clearance, and a comprehensive civil. riglils programme to end racial segregation and discrimination. The President declared that the American people liad "rejected and discredited the theory that the iort unes of the nation should be in Ihe hands of a privileged few." He vVf nt on to spell out the progranme that was iargely a repetition of Uie iutiie requests he had made to ihe RepuDlican-dominated Eightieth Congress. President Truman dealt only Kkeichily with foreign policy and lailed to mention at all the piojict.ed North Atlantic Pact, the niilitary aid programme for Wes-t.i-rn Europe or additional funds for the Mar.shall Plan. He did say, however, that during the course of the current session "I shall havc occasion to ask Congress to consider several measures in the field of foreign policy." His only specific foreign policy recommendations were, firstly, a ;

request for a three-year extension , of the reciprocal trade agreements programme, which empowers the Government to negotiate tariff lowering pacts with other Governments; and, secondly, a more liberai admission of displaced persons into the United States. The President repeated his requests for a universal military training programme, but at ho stage of his 4000-word speech did he refer to Russia by name. He did assert, however: "Itjshould be clear by now to all nations that we are not seeking to freeze the status quo. We have no intention of preserving the injustices o'f the past. We welcome the constructive efiorts being made by many nations to achieve a better life for llieir citizens. "In the European recovery programme, in our good neighbour policy and in the United Nations vve have begun to batter down thoae national walls which block he economic growth and social rdvancement of the people of the ,'orld. We believe that if we hold . esolutely to this course the priniple of international co-operation vill eventually command the apiroval even of those nations which are now seeking to weaken or aibvert it." Then he added: "We stand at the pening of an era which can mean jither great achievement or ter.ibie catastrophe for ourselves and ill mankind."