Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-30
Roosevelt
Expected
Opposition
Messages Intent: TO Stop
Drive Against Labor
BY PAUL MALLON

w The lack of enthusiasm i'm
congressional comment on Mr..
Roosevelt's new price-freezing
apparatus forecasts trouble on
the few features which Congress
was called upon TO enact.
II was quite evident from
what some of the prominent
leaders did not say. and from
what others said behind their
hands, off-the-record, that all
three of the Presidents sug-
gested courses of legislative
action will encounter diff
ficulties.
The farm bloc will strenuously
resist the suggestion that its
ITO per cent of parity goal be
moved back. Instead. the Senate
appropriationSeommitte is ex-
pected to write into the agricul-
tural appropriations bill a re-
striction against government
dumping of SURPRISES.
The proposed SIS, 900 limit on
income found an equally unwel-
come reception, although this
was not quite as evident. The
restriction smacks too much of
confiscation.
No doubt, Congress will enact
some kind of additional excess
profits tax, but not one as dras-
tic as the treasury and the
President have in mind.
Thus, on all three points, the
Presidents purposes will be
moderated.
THE prevailing opinion in the
l. congressional cloakrooms is
that Mr.. Roosevelt well knew
that these three suggestions
would meet a cold reception.
The general thought was the
message was intended to pre-
pare public opinion for the price
fixing and to stop the Congress
sional drive on labor.
From the first standpoint, the
program let Congress and the
country have a real understand
ing of overall economic policy,
thus softening the effects of the
stringent price ceiling imposed
by Henderson "a hours later.
There is no question also that
it served to wrap a wet blanket
around the already cornered
movement for labor law revision.
There is even less chance of ac-
ton in the House now than be-
fore on the Vinson bill to estab-
liSh 48-hour week.
Senator Connally's prompt
withdrawal of this plant seizure
bill in the Senate, on the ground
that he did not wish to get into
a scrap with the President, will
have similar dampening effect
on efforts to restrain labor in
that branch.
THE economic freezing appa-
Il ratus offered by the Presi-
dent was, as a whole, delicately
balanced politically from the
radical-conservative and compul-
sion-voluntary standpoints. It
was a typical Roosevelt contriv-
ance devised as a compromise
between conflicting elements.
The course of radical compul-
sion was offered on prices and
taxes, but the method of volun-
tary appeal was suggested for
bond sales.
The interest of farmers and la
Dor were likewise finely weighed.
An indirect sterilization" of
wages will offend labor little
and satisfy farm compliments.
while the further limitation of
farm prices (Which cannot be
expected will satisfy labor and
not m Ike the farmers angry
very long.
In all essentials. the plan IS
thus just as outlined in this
column of April "a.
WHETHER the plan will work
w can only be determined by
experience. The British have
had. in effect, the same mild in
direct wage policy. Yet, hourly
wages have risen in the average
of 6 per cent in the last year.
AS 6 per cent is the average,
many rates have risen consider
ably more.
The British national arbitra-
ton tribunal corresponding to
our War Labor Board) has only
used official announcement that
government policy favors stabili-
cation.
British experience on prices is
not comparable to what Roose-
welt proposes to do. The gov
eminent there started out by
merely asking merchants not to
increase prices unless individual
costs of production increased.
This proved wholly unsatisfac-
tory, and. on July %, 1871, the
Board of Trade was given the
power TO act arbitrarily. But
all the board did was to select
limited list of commodities upon
which ceilings were placed. No
general freeze order was at
tempted.
During all this period. the
cost of living rose from an index
of ia in January. 1910, to 1875
in December, and finally got up
TO 200 in May. 1871. although II
has receded slightly since then.