text Of President Truman’s Address^
WASHINGTON, June 30— (TP) —
Text of President Truman’s mes
*age to Congress today on the
rent control extension bill:
I have today signed H. R. 3203,
the housing and rent act of 1M7,
despite the fact that its rent con
trol provisions are plainly inade
quate and its housing provisions
acutally repeal parts of the vet
erans’ emergency housing act
which have been most helpful in
meeting ihe housing needs of vet
erans.
Had I withheld my signature, na
tional rent control would die to
night. It is clear that, insofar as
the Congress is concerned, it is
this bill or no rent control at all.
I have chosen the lesser of two
evils.
Without any rent control, mil
lions of American families would
face rapidly soaring rents and
wholesale evictions. We are still
suffering from a critical housing
shortage. Many families are des
perately seeking homes. In their
desperation, they would have to
rent. Even this inadequate law
submit to demands or exorbitant
presents fewer dangers than would
the complete lack of rent control.
I have been confronted with a
problem similar to the one which
the Congress placed before me
In the price control bill which it
sent me o nJune 28, 1946. That bill
was so damaging to price control
that I vetoed it and addressed the
country on the subject. Then, on
July twenty-fifth, the Congress sent
me a second price control bill, in
some respects worse than the first.
The time was so late that I had
to sign that bill in order to pre
vent the complete destruction of
price control. But effective price
control was impossible under the
new law.
A basic weakness of the rent
Air Conditioned
| Today & Wed. |
I A Miracle Oi |
Joyous Entertainment!
Bags Banny Cartoon!
| Shows 1:15—3:11 I
[ 5:07—7:03—9:00 I
Merry
MIDNIGHT
SHOW
Thursday Night
11:30 O’CLOCK!
Featuring Special
Preview Showing of
"THE TROUBLE
WITH WOMEN"
Laugh Riot - Starring
RAY MILLAND
TERESA WRIGKT
RRIAN DONLEVY
All Seats 50c (Inc. Tax)
AIR CONDITIONED
control provisions of the act is
the so-called “voluntary” increase
of 15 per cent in cases where the
landlord and tenant enter into a
lease that will continue until De
cember 31, 1948. This is voluntary
only sc far as the landlord is con
cerned.- Many tenants, however,
will feel that there is no choice.
The tenant'will naturally fear that
unless he enters into such a lease
he will be subjected to even more
exorbitant increases when rent con
trol is ended. Whenever a vacancy
occurs, the landlord can refuse to
rent except under a lease provid
ing for the rent increase. Many
landlords will press for rent in
creases whether or not there is
need for adjustment. Severe hard
ship will thus be imposed on many
tenants. The hardship will be par
ticularly acute in the case of vet
erans, who comprise such a large
portion ci those seeking rental
housing accommodations.
The act also weakens the protec
tion against eviction which is nec
essary for effective rent control,
and completely removes the protec
tion of rent control in many cases
where it is still badly needed. Ad
ministration of the law will be
made more complex by the injec
tion of new procedures and will
be made less effective by the weak
ening of enforcement provisions.
All of this represents the aban
donment of a system which has
been both fair and effective. In
its administration oi rent control,
the federal government ras made
every effort to give full protection
to both landlords and tenants. The
net rental income of landlords to
day is substantially higher than in
the pre-war years of 1939 and 1940,
or in the previous decade. Pro
visions for granting rent increases
in meritorious cases have been
liberalized and simplified. Over
one million ^ent increases have
been granted. Controls have been
removed in cases where the need
no longer appeared acute. These
steps and many more have been
taken to keep the administration
of rent control simple. Practicable,
and fair and to prevent hardship.
This has been accomplished with
i TODAk - WEDNESDAY i
Here’s The Big Thrill Show
You Have Been Waiting For!
3-lBIG SHOWS
I Chapter No. 1
Of Our New Thrill
Serial
Last Chapter
“CHICK CARTER
DETECTIVE”
1 T"
BOB STEELE
— In —
“COLORADO KID”
I FAMILY PRICES |
1 __kl
out permitting substantial in
creases in the general rent level.
Since federal rent control is be
ing irreparably weakened, I ap
peal to the governors of the states
—particularly those populous states
where rental housing is more prev
alent—to exert every effort to pro
tect tenants from hardship, evic
tion or exploitation. They can soft
en, although not avoid completely,
the blow to rent control dealt by
H. R. 3203.
The housing and rent act of 1947
also marks a step backward in our
efforts to solve the critical prob
lem of providing sufficient addi
tional housing for our citizens. It
repeals almost all the emergency
aids to housing provided in the
veterans’ emergency housing act
of 1946.
If I had vetoed H. R. 3203, rent
controls would end, and the pros
pects of another bill being sent
to me would be negligible. I had no
choice but to sign.
It is clear that this legislation
marks a step backward in our ef
forts to protect tenants against un
justified rent increases arising out
of war conditions. For millions
of families, it will result in sub
stantial increases in rents which
until now have been held at rea
sonable levels. The cost of living
is already too high without this
additional burden.
It is evident that the present
nigh cost of living should not be in
creased further by a sharp in
crease in rents. We must get
prices down, not devise means of
getting the price of shelter up.
Since the end of price control,
the consumer price index has ris
en i7 percent. Food has gone up
29 percent. During the second
quarter of 1947, we have made real
progress in checking these sharp
price increases. On the whole,
prices and the cost of living have
leveled off. This progress—and the
further progress we must make—
would be nullified for millions of
faiSllies by higl^r rents. Rents
amount to 25 percent to 35 percent
of many family budgets. Rent
increases could revive the infla
tionary dangers which we have
greatly reduced.
In January 1946, I recommended
the enactment of legislation to
meet an immediate emergency in
housing. I recommended that the
housing expediter be given the
necesSary powers to expedite the
production of building materials
and the construction of houses.
The Congress responded to my
recommendations by passing the
Veteran’s Emergency Housing Act
of 1946. With the emergency mea
sures provided by that act, the
supply of building materials has
increased tremendously and the
number of new homes built has in
creased at a rate surpassing our
best pre-war achievements.
The Veterans’ Emergency Hous
ing program waf announced in
February 1946. By the close of
that year 670,500 permanent fam
ily housing units, in addition to
over 300,000 units of other types,
had been started. In the first five
months of this year 280,300 new
permanent family dwelling units
were begun, and 300,000 were com
pleted. Although this accomplish
ment is heartening, it is not e
nough.
H. R. 3203 will weaken rather
than strengthen our means for
greater achievement.
The most serious loss in hous
ing aids under this act is the vir
tual elimination of controls which
have prevented the diversion of
building materials from homes to
nonessential and deferable con
structiomAsthejjupply of build
TOU A1
Prices
Always
25c
Plug
Tax
Loretta
YOUNG
David
NIVEN
in
“THE PERFECT
. MARRIAGE’’
-Added—-—
Popular Science No. 1
_
TV* oaoUri? km Imp- 1
parted to a more farclnol- J
ing eollectlen of people
I ...ha grander, more
' heart-worming, fun-filled
< movie!
On the etreet where
anything oan happen
. . . One wonderful
night everything did!
GUARANTEE !
For one of the very few times in many
years of showing motion pictures, we take
this means to announce publicly a flat
guarantee concerning one of our attrac
tions. Without reservation, we go on record
as saying that “IT HAPPENED ON 5TH
AVENUE’’, will serve to give more enjoy
ment to more people than any other movie
we have ever played.
We guarantee that “IT HAPPENED ON
5TH AVENUE’’ is the happiest thing that
has ever happened on out screen!
Shows
Starts . ,
12:40
2:35
4:40
6:50
9:00
BOB HOPE SAYS
“Loaded with
Happiness! ”
AL JOLSON ...
“One of the Best!"
JIMMY DURANTE...
“It’s Sumptious!”
JACK BENNY ...
“One of the finest
of all time!”
5 Refreshing Days, Starting Today!
TECHT fICOLOR Matinee SOc Plus
NOVELTY! . . . Night 40c Tax
"MANHATTAN If J ■ kT.l | |TI 111 —
ISLAND" II VI I '(I I fill Kids Only 9c
> us**:*.-.-.*.-... ••■•■-•» \ .
JANE AND JEAN CUNNINGHAM (left and right, we think), 18
year-old identical twins who constituted a single entry in the Miss
Chattanooga” beauty contest, wear their title ribbon and hold the
cup they won in Chattanooga, Tenn., when judges awarded them the
title as an entry. It was a simple case of ‘ two” much beauty for
the judges. The twins next seek the ‘‘Miss Tennessee” crown. Jane
and Jean are instructors at a Chattanooga Dancing school. (AP
Photo). ___
ing materials has increased, the
housing expediter has eased and
simplified controls oyer materials
and construction. Those which
were retained were necessary and
important, however, and their re
moval by this act may prove dis
astrous to home building.
The increased demand for ma
terials and labor resulting from
removal of these controls may de
lay a decline in building costs.and
may even result in further cost in
creases. Already many veterans
are unable to pay for homes at
present cost levels, and this will
further aggravate their problems.
Moreover, delays in the comple
tion of veterans’ hospitals and of
other essential construction will
result from the increased compe
tition for materials and labor.
It is of deep concern to me that
this most unsatisfactory law rep
resents tile only major action tak
en by the Congress at this session
wi'h regard to the housing prob
lem which confronts the nation.
We should be taking steps to pro
vide additional aids to housing,
rather than eliminating the aids
which have been in effect.
On many occasions I have placed
housing high on the list of subjects
calling for decisive congressional
action.
On September 6, 1945, in my
message to the Congress, I called
attention to the shortage of decent
homes and the enforced wide
spread use of substandard housing
and warned that the housing short
age would become more acute as
veterans returned and began to
look for places to live. 1 urgent
ly recommended that the Congress
enact comprehensive housing leg
islation to meet this problem. My
proposals were directed especially
to the needs of those families of
low or moderate income who can
not buy or rent high priced houses.
The overwhelming majority of vet
erans need such legislation for
this reason.
On January’ 14, 1946, in the mes
sage on the state of the union, I
again emphasized that we faced
a major post-war housing prob
lem. I recommended that the
seventy-ninth Congress promptly
enact general legislation foi
a comprehensive housing program
along the lines of the Wagner
Ellender-Taft bill then under con
sideration. The senate approved
the bill, but the house of repres
entatives was denied the oppor
tunity to vote by delaying -tactics
within one of its committees.
On January 6, 1947, in the mes
sage of the state of the union, 1
again recommended action by the
eightieth congress on comprehen
sive housing legislation. Such
legislation has been introduced
and favorably reported to the
senate during this session, but has
not yet been passed by either the
senate or the house ot representa
tives.
The obligation upon the federal
government is one which cannot
be ignored.
Again 1 urge the congress to
complete action upon legislation
to accomplish, the following ob
jectives:
1. To provide pufette to
localities for low rent housing for
DRIVE-IN -THEATRE
Midway between Wilmington
and Carolina Beaeh
k
See it with
someone
yon LOVE!
ROBERT
TAYLOR
—in—
•
Today
Thru
Wed.
•
A UNIVERSAL REREUASf
—v/itn—
IRENE
DUNNE
— Plus —
Cartoon
News
OPEN 10:45 A. M. DAILY!
families in the lowest income
group.
2. To encourage private invest
ment in rental housing by feder
al insurance.
3. To provide a more adequate
program of farming.
4. To extend aid to our cities
for the clearance of slums and
blighted areas and to perfect and
supplement aids to home financ
ing.
5. To provide a substantial pro
gram of housing research to assist
industry in progressively reduc
ing the cost of housing.
Means are at hand for the
prompt enactment of legislation
which will go far toward accomp
lishing these objectives. I refer to
the Taft-Ellender-Wagner bill now
before the senate. This bill has
been developed after long and
careful consideration of our hous
ing needs, these needs are known.
Now is the time for action to set
in motion a comprehensive pro
gram which will assure the
greatest possible number of
Americans a decent place to live,
in a decent environment, at a
cost they can afford.
In the face of our acute need
for more effective aid for housing,
it is unthinkable that the con
gress would actually take steps
to make more difficult or even
impossible the efficient adminis
tration of the government’s pres
ent activities relating to housing
and home finance. Yet, I fear
that this may happen.
The house of representatives
has already indicated its disap
proval of a reorganization plan
which would preserve the group
ing of our principal housing func
tions in a single establishment.
-Liie rtumiimaii ctuuii m. uiese iuiic
tions within a single establishment
is essential if our housing policies
are to be carried out with a
consistency of purpose and a
minimum of duplication. I strong
ly urge that this plan be allowed
to become effective.
Another danger threatening even
the existing aids to housing and
home financing arises from the
action of the house of representa
tives upon the appropriations for
the national housing agency, in
cluding the office of the adminis
trator and the constituent agen
cies. The drastic cuts made by
the house of representatives in
these appropriations, if they are
allowed to stand, will seriously
handicap the efforts of both gov
emement and private entemrise.
The effectiveness of the national
housing agency will be greatly
impaired. If we are to have an
effective housing program now
and in the future, this agency
must have adequate funds and
personnel.
A continuing high volume of
home-building activity is essential
to provide decent housing for all
the people. It is equally important
because of its contribution to the
maintenance of prosperity and
full employment. Home-building
should provide continuous em
ployment to several million work
ers, dirtctly or indirectly, and be
a strong support to the rest of the
economy when postwar restocking
la over and when the extra
ordinary foreign demand for
American products has leveled off.
In the pent, this major Industry
has been an an stable element In
between boom conditions and al
most complete stagnation. Without
the national economy, fluctuating
effective action, it cannot contri
bute its full share to the mainten
ance of high levels of production
and employment.
AERO CLUB MAKES
WEEK-END JAUNT
TO RICH'S INLET
Sunday some 100 members of
the Wilmington Aero Club flew to
Rich’s Inlet as part of aerial en
thusiast program. The airborne
party, in which 15 planes took
part, landed on the beach at low
tide and spent the afternoon swim
ming, fishing, sunbathing and pic
nicing.
Some 30 round trips were made
from Wilmington to the beach,
transporting those who do not fly
planes. No mish?»ps were recor
ded as the event was timed so that
planes could land during a fall
ing tide and take off during the
flood tide.
The Vilmington Aero Club’s ac
tivities during recent months has
included several breakfast “hops”
to sites in the southeastern area.
Planes from Carolina Skyways,
Wilmington Air Park and Penning
ton’s Flying service participated
in the day’s activities,
Guyton Prepares For New Post
GREENVILLE. S. C., June 30—
IVP)—Dr. C. L. Guyton, city health
officer, today prepared to close out
official duties here prior* to ac
cepting a post with the newly
creatad South r'nr''l:n3 Hospital
Advisory ccur
Today And Tomorrow
By WALTER LIPPMANN
The -Veto .Overridden
We now have ® labor law which
the President, woo must adminis
ter it, has said is unworkable and
unjust. Therefore, if the results
are as bad as the President pre
dicted, his Republican and Demo
cratic opponents on this issue will
say that he caused the law to
tail: that he encouraged resist
ance to the law and did not ad
minister it sincerley. If, on the
other hand, the law works out bet
ter than he says it •will, he will
have refuted his own arguments
for vetoing it.
A dilemma of this kind, when
so much is at stake as in labor
relations, could • not be posed in
Canada, Great Britain, or in any
other country which has a demo
cratic government. There would
be a new administratiqn. once the
legislature had expressed itself as
decisively as did the Congress in
overriding the President’s opposi
tion. For a new administration
headed by Messrs. Taft and Hart
ley, and composed of men who
believed in the law', would take
office to administer it.
There would then be no confu
sion of responsibility about its
success or its failure. Mr. Tru
man woul^ be out of office, free
to hold Mr. Taft accountable for
the consequences of Mr. Taft’s
law. But under our system Mr.
Taft is still in the opposition, free
to hold Mr. Truman accountable
for the success of the law that
Mr. Taft wrote ana Mr. Truman
denounced.
• •
In saying this I am not suppos
ing that our Presidential system
can or will be altered, and a sys
tem of parliamentary government
put in its place. There are enor
mous advantages in our system,
not the least of them being that
we are used to it. But every sys
tem of government has its disad
vantages, and there is no doubt
that President Truman’s dilemma
illustrates sharply the greatest
weakness of our system.
It is that when the people de
cide to change the direction and
policy of the government, it takes
them several years to change it.
It takes them two years to change
the House of Representatives,
four years to change the Execu
tive, and it may take as much
as four to change the Senate. Du
ring the period of change, when
one party is coming into power
by installments and the other is
going out of power by install
ments, authority is divided. There
is an interregnum. Mr. Truman is
President during such an inter
regnum, and his position is all
the worse in opposing the will oi
a Congress, which was recently
elected by the people, because he
happens never to have been elect
ed President of the United States,
and therefore to have only a nom
inal, an exofficio, mandate from
the people.
• * *
The problem of the labor law
has been whether enough common
sense and good will could be
mustered to overcome the in
herent difficulties when the Presi
dent belongs to one party and the
Congress to the other. In the field
of foreign relations that has ir
considerable measure been done
because there the patriotic feeling
that politics should stop at the
water’s edge is a powerful offset
to partisanship.
But in the domestic affairs—
particularly in such matters as
taxation and labor laws — it is
much harder to legislate by
agreement of the parties. The is
sues are not the sort on which
the whole people can be expected
to agree. They are issues which
have to be decided by majority
rule and the minority must not
be asked to agree with the ver
dict but only to accept it loyally
and with good grace.
* *
Mr. Truman has ample notice
that this Congress held a man
date from the people to write a
law for the purpose of reducing
the power of organized labor in
American society. What should
he have done? 1 think he should
have told Congress explicitly and
specifically while the law was in
the making which provisions he
would approve and which he could
not approve. He should not have
made a mystery of his position if
he intended to take part in the
lawmaking process by exercising
his veto. He should either have
abstained entirely by not using
his veto or have taken a responsi
ble part in shaping the legislation
while it was in the works.
Then, even if he had failed to
achieve a compromise which he
could approve, he 'would not be
in his present dilemma of having
to enforce a law which he has
totally disapproved. He would be
enforcing a law which in certain
specific respects he disapproves
ar.d he could then have asked
r G0T MALARIAL
! CHIILSJEVER?
666, NOW WITH ,
QUININE-PIUS 3
OTHER MALARIA- ]
FIGHTING MEDICINES !y
Standby of millions in 45
m years — now amazing 666
brings you not only Qui
nine, but 3 additional
malaria-fighting medicines
— combined with Quinine as Totaquinel
Caution: Take only as directed. Ask for 666
— today!
Liquid for
malarial
VVU SYMPTOMS
Congress to observe the supp,
defects of the law and to
them later on.
• • *
The general counsel of the)
tional Labor Relations Board,
Gerhard P. Van Arkel hjs
signed for the sound re a.‘or.
be does not believe in the s
law and, therefore, ought no;
administer it. Obviously M- t
man is not going to folio* ,
Van Arkel’s example. Bp*
seems to me clear that he 0ll.
to act in the spirit of Hr ,i
Arkel’s action.
He ought to ask the whole i
tional Labor Relations Board
resign, and he ought to
leaders of the Republican^
ocratic coalition, which overr'
his veto, lo submit an agreed
of candidates from whom he ,
select men to administer she
Then the law will be in the ha’
of men who believe in it. and
President will, after making
protest, have accepted the Una
tekable and unchallengeable ,
diet of the Congress.
A new heit
ing aid ofu,'
surpass^
beauty ana
performance
E x c 1 us i,£
SOUND APERTURE is recessed i
eliminate clothing noise. Moi
power fn a one-piece unit than w
ever thought possible.
Will Be At The
Wilmington Hotel,
Wilmington, N. C.,
JULY 2
Telex Hearing Center
1408 Independence Bldg.
Charlotte, N. C.
NOTICE
The General Assembly of North Carolina has en
acted r—G. S. 105-422 baring tax liens for 1936
and prior years.
That this act shall be in full force and effect
from and after July 1, 1947.
This act provides for the institution of suits prior
to December 31, 1948, so that the city of Wil
mington and New Hanover County can protect
their claims against all parties owing taxes prior
to 1937. All persons owing taxes for the above
years, suit will be brought immediately.
DELINQUENT TAX DEPT.
r \ ■ ' ■ •
1
Lots of things could, go wrong
to spoil that wonderful weekend
trip you’ve planned. Big things
v ...like tire or engine trouble.
Little things... like windshield
wiper failure during a summer storm.
Troublesome things... like a burned-out
headlight. Upsetting things ... like the
wrong road without a good road map.
Why not let your nearby Esso Dealer
keep the fun in your Fourth with a thor
ough car-check? He knows what your car
needs for hot weather performance. He’ll
inspect... lubricate... and put it in top
notch running shape for that big 8-day
weekend or vacation trip you’re starting.
JUST A WORD OF ADVICE—don’t wait too long.
You can avoid the last-minute rush by taking
the car to your Esso Dealer’s now...today.
While you’re there, get a free, accurate Esso
Road Map of the roads you plan to travel.
AND ONE OTHER SUGGESTION ... have your
Esso Dealer put in fresh, long-lasting Ess■>
Motor Oil—it’s unexcelled. Then fill ’er up
with powerful Esso Extra Gasoline and you’ll
be off to a lively start.... a great holiday
weekend—and remember when you’re at th<
wheel that CAREFUL DRIVING PAYS I
Your SssoDealer has the New MLASlire
,oday'' W,j'iVilfsSri*«dl*H“”" °™ T
#3J^&££SriHH
MSS^k
|fM =r£rt£j?rrks
STANDARD OIL COMPANY of new jerh*
FOOT OF BRUNSWICK STREET, WILMINGTON