Evening star., 1941-10-19
Henderson Battles Prices
Believer Strategy Offensive He Practices Everyday Life

FTlCe AulllllllSlIdtOl LcOl I1ClluCi oOii
has believed all his life IN the strategy
of the offensive. In scrap with profit
eering price chiselers or in the midst of
a tense bridge hand, he takes the initia-
tive and holds it if he possibly can.
At the National Press Club on one
memorable occasion Henderson was in a
bridge game with White House Secretary
Marvin Mcintyre and two newspaper
men. After much bidding back and
forth, the opposition went to seven
hearts. Nothing daunted, Leon bid seven
no-trump and what is more made his
bid in spite of the fact that Mr.. Mcintyre
held Ohe ace of diamonds.
That established me once and for all"
SAYS Henderson, las the best damned no.
trump player in the Press Club"
Figuratively speaking, that is the way
the price administrator meets most Of
his problems-with a bold seven no.
trump bid 1t may be his phenomenal
energy, his shrewd planning or just
sheer nerve. but thus far he has got
away with it.
Tougher Job Now.
Now he has job tougher than any he
has ever before undertaken. Without
any specific sanction in law, he is at
tempting to hold down skyrocketing
prices. 1t is little like trying to break
a wild young colt without any bride
or halter.
For weeks that have now run into
months. Congress has been considering,
first, whether any halter Is necessary
and, second. whether it should be IN
trusted to single individual, particularly
if that individual is to be Henderson.
Republicans and conservative Democrats
are suspicious of this unconventional
economist who is not afraid to say what
he thinks in language any one can
understand.
On Capitol Hill the prediction is that
when the price control bill is finally
passed, it will provide for board to
administer prices, the members OF that
board to be appointed by the President
subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Henderson. who has been price controller
by White House appointment thus far,
would be the logical choice for chair
man of that body.
But persons close to the problem, in
cluding Bernard M. Baruch, are con-
vinced that such board, with inevitable
internal disputes, would make all the
more difficult the task of holding prices
down to a reasonable level.
Patient With Legislators.
For days Mr. Henderson went before
the House Banking Committee to an
swer every conceivable kind OF question.
Did he believe in the law of gravity?
What was his grandfather doing on the
afternoon of June 3. 1854? What were
his views. as practicing economist, on
whether the Dodgers or the Yankees
would win the World Series? Although
he has a reputation as a firebrand Hen
derson was extraordinarily patient
throughout this long interrogation.
This was no new experience for him.
Before he came here at the invitation OF
Gen. Hugh johnson in 1884 to protect
consumers victmized under the N. r. A.
Henderson worked with the Russell Sage
Foundation in putting over what became
known as the Russell Safe uniform mort
gage law In the course of his duties he
had to go from State Legislature to State
Legislature and he learned all about the
democratic process by first-hand expert
ence.
Henderson tells the story Of an old
Senator in Minnesota who was on the
Senate committee considering the Rus
sell Sage bill. The measure called for
re-enactment of the uniform mortgage
law which had been repealed after a
brief test. AS the hearings wore on Hem
derson became acutely aware that this
old fellow from one of the remote cutover
counties was definitely hostile AS Hen
derson tells the story, he summed up
as follows:
'Minnesota's had two great plaques
One was the locusts and the other was