The Washington herald., 1918-09-28
GOVERNMENT
TO FIX PRICES
ON NECESSITIES
War Labor Policies Board
Urges Control as
Urgency.

Price control of the everyday ne
cessities of lie by governmental limi-
tation OF pronts is urged as the only
method in sight of combating the
ever-increasing cost Of living. in an
official resolution of the War Labor
Policies Board. adopted yesterday.
Felix Frankfurter. chairman of the
board. which Is an official agency of
the Department of Labor. in making
public the important action, explain
ed that he and his associates realized
the inherent difficulties presented by
the question, but added with emphasis
that like other great war problems 1t
must be tackled and solved.
The resolution calls upon the War
Industries Board, the Food Admin
istration. the Department of Agricul-
ture and the Fuel Administration to
proceed as rapidly as possible with
the formulation and enforcement of
plans for the increase In production
of the necessities OF life. for the sta
bilization of their prices. and for the
equitable Limitation of profits.
Designed to Sound Warning.
1t is regarded as the first step in a
determined plan to limit to Teasona BILE
prices the articles of personal and
household use necessary to the decent
existence of the average American
citizen. The public announcement Of
the resolution and Chairman Frank
furter's accompanying statement at
this time is designed to sound a gen.
eral warning that the government
proposes to call a halt to further ad-
vances in the prices the consumer has
TO pay for needed articles.
Mr.. Frankfurter pointed out that
labor Is especially concerned in the
maintenance of a fair level of prices.
The subject. he said, therefore. natur-
ally forced itself upon the attention
of the War Labor Policies Board,
representing, as 1t does, the Industrial
agencies of the country.
No one is criticised for past failure
to act. but it is made plain that the
time for heroic measures has arrived.
The. Policies Board, in common
with all who have considered the
problem" continued Mr.. Frankfurter.
appreciates fully the great benefits
which have already resulted from
the activities of the War Industries
Board. the Fuel Administration, the
Food Administration and the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
Appreciates Difficulties Presented.
above all 1t realizes the tremen-
dous difficulties inherent in undertake
ing price control, but like other great
problems presented by the war. this
undertaking must be pursued be-
cause the successful enforcement of
labor policies is ineXtricably bound
up with all these conditions usually
called the cost of living.
The Policies Board. therefore. felt
impelled to place at the disposal of
The price controlling agencies the
needs of the situation as seen by the
agency responsible for dealing with
labor matters"
The preamble of the resolution re-
fcrs to the intimate relation OF the
cost OF the neCesSaTies of life to the
success of a labor policy and recites
that a belief that profits in these
commodities are excessive is causing
Industrial unrest. The successful
formulation of a definite labor policy
by the government, il is pointed out,
depends upon increased production
stabilization of prices and elimination
of inequitable profits
1t is understood that the resolution
has reached the heads OF the four
war agencies to whom It was ad-
dressed and that important confer
ences will follow.