The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-05-02
1Niajdl[aaa-
SAVING MONEY
Washington, D. G.

SAVING MONEY
One of defense price regulator
Leon Henderson's staunchest sup
porters is Donald Nelson, dollar-a-
year OPM purchasing chief.
At a meeting of his lieutenants,
Nelson said: "We've got to watch
price advances like hawk. Our
national economy won't stand for
any price skyrocketing. I want you
to catch every bid where prices are
out of line, and if we can't scale
them down, we'll turn the case over
to Leon"
Several days later an assistant,
examining cotton gauze prices sub
mitted by three companies holding
army contracts, smelled mouse
and showed the figures to Nelson.
The prices of two of the firms were
okay, but the third had boosted its
bid 10 cents. Checking, Nelson found
that wages in mills had not adj
vanced and that a large stock OF
cotton was on hand.
So he called the manufacturer and
firmly informed him that unless his
price was put back into line the fur
would fly. Next day the company
submitted reduced figures.
Note-Nelson's biggest problem in
keeping defense prices from soar
ing is the military brass-hats, who
are rated chiefly for their ability
to get materials for the army and
navy, and not on the price the gov
eminent has to fork out.
BILL OF FRILLS
Press gallery wits have taken to
referring to the stynied $50, 1000, 1000
emergency defense housing meas
ure as the "bill of frills." This is a
soft impeachment. Not in long
time has an important piece of legis-
lation suffered more from congress
sional obstruction and inconsistency.
introduced several months ago to
meet an urgent defense situation,
the bill was stalled for 10 days in
the house rules committee by a
noisy row over the installation of
''fri1ls," such as refrigerators and
gas stoves, in homes for defense
workers.
Finally, after inserting an amend
nent barring these appliances, the
House passed the measure and it
went to the senate. There it ran
head on into another "frill'' tangle-
in reverse. This time a ''frill' was
put into the bill.
Brick makers protested that the
$4,000 limit specified for each hous-
ing unit barred the use of bricks,
and demanded that the ante be
raised to $500. One Of the chief
pro-brick Spokesman was Sen. Bob
Taft of Ohio, a leading economy adj
vocate, who sought to slash the lend
lease appropriation on the ground
that it was excessive.
On the argument that savings in
paint, repairs and heating through
the use Of brick would more than
offset the $500 difference, the sem
ate approved the boost-and added
another delay. For now the amend
ed measure has to 60 back to the
house for it to decide whether bricks
fall in the same luxury" category
as refrigerators and gas ranges.
NOte-In an effort to make up
some of the time wasted by the frill-
conscious boys on Capitol Hill, De-
tense Housing Co-ordinator Palmer
has gone ahead with plans for a
number of projects, ready to start
the moment the bill becomes law.
One will be the largest low-cost
housing project ever undertaken by
the government.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
Mrs. Roosevelt has been invited
to address the national Townsend
Plan convention in Buffalo early in
July. Meanwhile, Sen. Sheridan
Downey of California, chief Town
sendite spokesman in congress, has
told leaders of the movement that
he will force a vote on their old-age
pension plan in the senate by offer
ing it as an amendment to the tax
bill next month.
VAStASS NtdkAACy 4tCCO AO11OWS Tile
practice of the late great Justice
Oliver Wendell Holmes in picking a
new legal clerk every year, explains
that he does it chiefly for his own
benefit, to get the different view
points of bright young men.
Feature of the latest issue of the
Republican, monthly party maya
zine, is an article by Democrat on
whats Wrong With the C. o. p"
In a poll of 5,765 college students on
the greatest weakness of the Re-
publican party, 35.2 per cent an
swered Lack Of touch with COM
mon people,; 24.4 per cent held mo
co-ordinated program; 25.6 per
cent Divided leadership; and l4.8
per cent "Other reasons
The late Sen. Morris Shepard of
Texas was known to the public
chiefly as the father of prohibition,
but on Capitol Hill he was consid-
cred a great worker for prepared
ness as wen as tolerant, kindly
friend