Milford chronicle., 1942-07-24
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y JAl4Es PREsroN

Because news from far-fung bat
tie fronts fails of cheer, intelligent
sia here declines to hazard a
quick war guess. But, new peaks
will rise on the home front where
the battle of production, already
over the top, continues prolific
under daily orders and regulations
expected to be more drastic and of
long duration.
Changes already effected are not
the end. Hardly an industry, no
matter how remote from war effort,
will remain unaffected. Major in
dustrial units already have been
converted. The smaller plants will
be brought nm to forestall as many
casualties as possible.
With its production house in
order, WPB now assumes a new
role as umpire to decide what pro-
portion of available materials goes
to armed forces and how much
civilians will get What happens to
ALLEGATIONS from there on is up to
recipients.
Two major problems remain:
stabilization of wages and farm
prices. The absence of .well-de-
fined policy on these threatens to
collapse the Presidents anti-infa-
tion program, unless average fac
tory rates, up 26 per cent and farm
prices, up 3S per cent lover year
ago) are checked, price control eff
forts of OPA Henderson can't
work.
If the War Labor Board blunders
in favor of the Little Steel" wage
increase, similar demands are GER
tain to spring up all around. The
end result could force the whole
price structure out of line and con-
troll might go glimmering. Hender-
son and other officials, therefore,
are increasing pressure on the
to spell out a wage sta
bilization chart in dollars and cents.
While the problem is how to have
wage stabilization without freezing,
a point by point formula is needed
to determine increases will be
granted in all industries. Labor
rails against freezing and advo-
Gates industry subsidies which lat
ter measure Congress opposes.
Confusion, which already has
forced the President to take direct
action to control farm prices, may
also bring sufficient pressure to
get down to brass tacks on wages.
It is believed, by that politically
however, that the admin
istration hopes to dodge this issue
until after the November elections.
Meantime the Washington pic
lure presents many oddities: Mr..
a top new-dealer being
pushed all over town by labor pres !
sure groups who, at the same time, .
Mr.. Nelson, a business
Mr.. Nelson, business
man, for his labor-management
The whole wage situation neces-
sarily Involves consideration of the
War Labor Boards. recent New
England textile decision, which
might lead TO policy
Of eliminating regional wage. dl1-
stIf tins ruling, Which Z,
granted wage increases to nine !
plants, were adopted as national
policy. it would make wage scales
inform throughout the country. !
This would cause general disrup- !
ion of wage scales and almost GER
ainly eliminate any possibility of
he successful operation of Mr.. !;
price control policy. :
If wage scales should become uni ;
orm, Washington realizes that
abor would have strong tendency
o exacuate congested industrial I
.enters and this move, in turn, !
would aid and abet the plans of q
he Natioanal Resources Planning
Board which envisage the wide use h
# existing government financed
'lants surrounded by government ! u
wned housing. i