Press Release, Speech of President Harry S. Truman, Hartford, Connecticut

HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE October 27, 1948 CONFIDENTIAL: Text of the President's remarks, Hartford, Connec- ticut, FOR RELEASE 11 a. m., E. S. T. TRUNKY October 27, 1948. ARCHIVES RECORDS NATIONAL AND LIVERSE SERVICE" CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the President GOVERNMENT Thank you for this fine reception. I've always enjoyed being in the great state of Connecticut, and I'm ospecially happy to be here today when there are so many fine Democrats traveling with me. On the way down here from Springfield; I've been visiting with Chester Bowles again about high prices. If anybody in the country knows what soaring prices mean, and what high prices will do to the country, I think it's Chester Bowles. He and I fought many a tough battle in Washington to keep strong, effective laws on the books so that poople wouldn't suffer from post-war inflation. You know what happened. Too many people wanted easy profits. Not enough people were alort to the dangor, and sò the Republican leaders in the Congress successfully led the fight to kill O. P. A. Those Republican leaders, I remember, used to boast about how they'd kill O.P.A. But they have been awfully quiet about it recently, with an .olection coming up. But don't think for one minute that they have done all they are going to do to you. They're not through yet! They refused to ro-establish the price controls and other curbs on prices that I repeatedly asked for. I even called the Congress back into special session twice for that purpose. You got no relief from the Republicans at all. And you won't get it. If the Republican Party wins this election, you'll have to expect more of the same bad medicine from them -- modicine to pep up Special Priviloge -- medicine to lull you to sleep while they shake out your pockets. We alroady have been given a previow of what to xpect in the next Ropublican Congress. It has been given to us by the real estate lobby, which has always found it easy to g et what it wants from Republican C ongress- ional leadors. The National Apartment Owners Association hold a convention, which ended just two weoks ago, out in California. The Wall Street Journal, which is a good paper to read if you want to know what the convention. Republicans have in mind, carried a full report of this I have a copy right here in my hand -- the issue for October 13. Let me read you one quotation: "coronado, CALIF. The nation's landlords are going after rent control this year with a double-barrolod shotgun. "Ono barrol, repeating the single-shot blast used before, will ronew a direct appeal to Congress to 'kill' this last remain- ing wartime control. "The other, aimed at enlisting John Public in the 'hunt' will peppor him with landlord lamonts and pleas to holp get rid of restrictions 11 which, ho'll be assured, are working to his own disndvantago. That's the end of the qwtation. OVER