Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-03
Halls Naming
Of. Ickes as
Oil Car 4.
But Henderson Is Mar
Who Merits Support
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

- Justify, in view of other cir
cumstances, the Presidents APP
pointmcnt of Mr.. Ickes as Pc
troleum pooh-bah is obviously a
step in the right direction.
The "other circumstances are
chiefly that proration and other
policies for oil conservation al
ready have so far pinched in the
development of new fields by
"wild-cutting" and other little
fellow" operations that we were
already seriously restricted be-
fore this step.
Many recent attractive pros
poets for the independent OPEN
ing of promising new oil horizons
have been turned down on the
grounds that restrictions on pro-
duction and confiscatory taxa
ton made the gamble impossible.
Just the same. as in the case
with steel. electric power, alu-
mnum and many other stra-
tegic materials. prompt federal
regulation of use is a defense
against initiation and other civil
ian hardships that could be a
greater danger than the loss OF
battles in the field of armed
conflict.
We all may rail at the howl
ings of Honest Harold on the
huStings. but the petroleum and
other industries know that he is
a fair and careful administrator
and. with the extremely efficient.
scientific organization of the in
terror department at his elbow,
no gross errors are TO be ex-
pected.
OUT why are We dallying on
- other methods of price and
production control? Let's put
aside FOR moment The betated
Showings OF price-charts and
other economic barometers and
go directly TO the evidence of
our own eyes and pocket books.
/ happen to have had some
part four years ago. in design
ing and planning the construc-
ton and furnishing of a small
house in Delaware kind of
avocation that has interested me
since boyhood.
II turned out 10 be n little,
local success-at least to the
extent that another man. this
year. decided TO copy it-almost
beam-for-beam. pillow-for- pillow
and charlton chair.
Every one of his costs in the
whole range from bricks and
lumber TO feathers and wool are
about 100 per cent higher, and
the incpease has come in the
last II months. The chief ele-
ment of increase is in the cost
of labor.
Mr.. Leon Henderson is our
new price administrator. He
was in the 1918 war effort. He
was a wheel-horse in NRA. He
is key-man in the present ef-
fort.
BY both experience and edu-
cation. he is aware of the
CHASTITY war-danger OF price in
ffation. A gesture has been
made 10 give him authority to
control it now. His is a respon-
sibility as great as that Of any
man in government--the COM
mander in chief Of all of our
armed forces not excepted.
VET Mr.. Henderson has not
L been permitted 10 act.
Why? Because il is as futile to
attempt TO control price adj
vances without also being able
10 control advances in wages
and rents as it would be 10 COM
mand:
Regiment halt-but all you
soldiers keep right on march
ing"
The principal element OF costs
and prices are wages and rents.
You can't halt the hideous pub
lie danger of price initiation
without hating these. Every
body in government admits and
acknowledges this simple fact
except the labor-half of the
Knudsen-Hillman economic Sia-
mese twins Mr.. Hillman.
If the President wants TO
carry this country along 10
serious and unified war-effort.
this is the place just now for
him to get tough.
If he doesn't. his whole at
tempt will prove to be a rain
barrel echo.
If he does, he will bring mil
lions of doubters 10 his support.
Informed observers can do
nothing but applaud his appoint
ment and support of Mr.. Ickes.
but the important man for him
to support at this hot moment is
Mr.. Leon Henderson.
by King Features synd, Inc
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