Evening star., 1940-12-16
Mrs. Roosevelt
Urges Control
On Prices
Labor Must Change
Some of Practices for
Defense, She Says

Labor needs to change some of its
ideas and practices in view of the
national defense emergency, Mrs.
Roosevelt declared last night as
she pleaded for sacrifices from all
sections of the country in the crisis.
She spoke to a group of 500 at
tending a panel discussion on the
subject, Must Defense Lower Liv-
ing Standards sponsored by the
Washington League of Women
Shoppers in the Raleigh Hotel.
Mrs. Roosevelt also suggested a
ceiling" on prices and profits to
avoid chaotic condition" similar
to that caused by preparation for
the World War.
Mrs. Roosevelt urged that raises
in rents and prices should not be
the starting point for the vicious
circle" she observed in the World
War, and called for protection, espe-
cially for workers in Washington.
1--WE must provide enough housing
in Washington so that workers who
come here can have place to live
at reasonable cost" she said.
Says Excuse Is Lacking.
The excuse of an actual war does
not exist today to justify lack of
planning for housing and price con-
troll, she continued.
Labor has more to fear from con-
ditions provoked by the national de-
tense drive than other classes, she
pointed out, but is obligated ito
take wider viewpoint than it has
in certain cases towards the rights
of all the people"
Labor must convince capital and
consumer that it is willing to do its
share of giving" she said. "Sacri-
fees for national security must be
made by every one Few have made
any so far" she added.
Lets divide the sacrifices" she
said. This is no. time to be afraid.
only if we have defense without
lower standards can we hope to
maintain democracy and do for the
world what must be DONE" she de-
clared.
Pleading for cooperation during
the crisis for a better world in the
future, Mrs. Roosevelt said: Few
people in a democracy have enough
courage and real devotion to do their
job and see that everybody gets fair
play"
DIR. Ezekiel Speaks.
Industry can easily increase it's
present production by at least so,
and perhaps 100 per cent, DR.. Morde-
cal Ezekiel, economic adviser to the
Secretary of Agriculture, declared.
II the resources Of the country
were fully exploited, Dr.. Ezekiel
continued, one-third of production
could be devoted to national defense
without interfering with normal
consumption.
Condemning the refusal of indus
try to expand for fear of overpro-
duction in peacetime, DR.. Ezekiel
pointed out that there would be no
profits if totalitarian powers took
over the country.
Maintenance of stock piles of
goods for foreign and domestic con-
sumption was urged by DR.. Ezekiel,
in case workers have to be diverted
to direct defense industries.
DR.. Ezekiel expressed the fear that
taxes for defense would eat up
money ordinarily spent for con-
sumption. Further emphasizing the
need for keeping consumer power at
a normal level, he urged that relief
rolls be maintained at present stand
ards.
Sees Wages Depressed.
A charge that industry is using
training courses for workers to flood
the labor market and depress wage
levels was made by a panel men,
ber, Ralph Hetzel, director of the
unemployment division of the c.
I. o.
DR.. Dewel Anderson, executive Sec
retary of the Temporary National
Economic Committee, predicted that
reactionary forces would attempt to
use defense for selfish purposes and
smash improvements won in recent
years.
Also participating the panel dis
cussion were Miss Josephine Roche,
president of the National Con-
sumers' League and former As
sistant Secretary of the Treasury,
and DR.. Faith Williams, chief of
the cost of living division Of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Mrs. Howell Moorhead, member of