The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-05-01
BY PETER EDSOk
Monitor-leoder Washington
Torxaspopdept

WNOF1IINS YIN, WQy -
The big question on the new
general moximum price sched-
uIe announced by Price Ad-
ministrotor Leon Henderson is,
Twill it work."
The obvious answer is, ITS
got to work." even without
ceilings on wages and farm
products, which the farmer
labor government now running
these United Stotes refuses to
plaster on the loth-like skeIe-
ton Of the country's wartime
economic structure.
There will be heortbreoks,
confusion and fights in and
out Of court getting the price
control machinery set up. This
is unquestionobIy the most
drastic order ever slapped on
the American people and their
free economy. If it works, eV-
eythinq will be almost dandy.
# it doesn't work, the econo-
mic and political kickbock will
be terrific.
The patriotic duty Of every
citizen - consumer, retailer
wholesaler, manufacturer or
producer-is to make every
possible effort to see that it
does work. This is the supreme
test Of whether q democracy
can prevent runaway initiation,
refrain from chiseIing and
cheating, bootIegging and
black market merchandising
If this price control toiIs-
even in the face Of q belief
that il cannot succeed so long
as all farm prices and all wog-
es are not nclu d e d in the
freezing orders - then there
are bat two 0ternofjycS. 1.-The
first would be to include farm
prices and wages. The second
would be to give up. But the
correct mental approach TO
this question today, if you will
permit q little sermon on the
mounting cost Of living from
this department, is to do your
durnedest 70 make the new
general price control work.
NElGH9ORS TO ENFORCE
Enough columns Of type,
enough words have been spill
ed to leave everyone q little
confused as to what this over
oil price ceiling plan will do,
and how it will do it. That un-
certainty should disappear as
the plan is gwen careful study.
Reducing the order to IFS
lowest common denomination,
the ultimate consumer, Ad-
ministrutor Henderson does not
torsee any vast army Of gov
eminent Of icio s or even
housewives called upon to Po-
lice the CELL ngs imposed,
which are the highest prices
poid in March. Instead, en-
forcement will come largely
through Committees Of neigh,
bors," m uc h like the local
droft boards.
These committees officially
will be called War Price and
Rotioni0g Boards. They will be
volunteer help, after the pot
tern Of the local boards that
have carried out the outomo-
bile and tire rotjoning pro-
grams. They may have govern
ment paid clerical help later,
but not immediately Their
functions will be to receive and
file statements Of prices and
ther to exercise ordinary 3D.
ministrotiVe judgment on the
conduct Of their nejghbors and
their neidhborhOOd stores.
Henderson also poys q trib-
ute to the part the retail mer-
chants have played in support
ing the 10 specific pric e
schedules which the Office Of
Price Administration has is
sued thus for. Retailers have
done their part in making the
wholesalers observe the maxi
NUNS previously imposed, and
FOR that reason the Office Of
Price Administration ontici-
Potes no great problem in Po-
Icing or enforcing the ceilings
imposed on retoil stores.
FIVE BIG DATES
Effective Immediately, every
seller is ordered TO preserve
for inspection his records and
his books TO show moximum
prices charged in March.
On May u these moximum