Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-07
Byrnes Gets
Authority to
Do Anything
Price Jump, Pay Puzzle
Seen by Congressman
BY PAUL MALLON

economic advisers. Henderson
(prices). Lubin white House
economist, and Davis twar Ia
Dor chairman.
In the initial stages of its
formation, both Nelson tthe
productioniSt and McNutt tthe
man-powerer) played some part
with the other three, but they
were left out at the end.
The program represents what
the President intended TO do in
the first place, before asking
Congress for the farm price
legislation. The formula was
adopted weeks ago, and. as an
nounced at the White House,
October 3, is substantially the
same as forecast in this column
published August 26, even as TO
the names of the members OF
the board, excepting Director
Byrnes, Morgenthau and Jesse
Jones.
THE in it | announcements
l. merely constituted a legal
assumption of blanket authority
TO do just about anything-with
no specific indications as to
what the program will do to
either existing wages or prices.
Absence of comment from
farm bloc senators betrayed
their puZZlement at Mr.. Roose-
welt leaving out any mention of
farm labor costs, while includ-
ing consideration of farm SUBJ
sides.
This, they took as a further
indication that the President
intended to go ahead as he
had originally planned, and farm
bloc Senator Bankhead grunted
a mild disapproval.
ERANKLY, they did not know
L what it meant. One admin
istration senator guessed the in
cluSion of subsidies, and the eX-
clusion of farm labor, would
leave parity just about where it
is.
On the wage side. the field
ahead was just as wide open for
Justice Byrnes and the War La
Dor Board. The order could
mean a lot or it could mean
little.
As matter of fact, it
probably means that the War
Labor Board is going to con-
tinue to follow its policy of APP
plying the Little Steel wage
formula, under which wage adj
vances will be allowed on the
basis of increased cost of living
since Jan. l, 1871. Most admin
istration people expect this.
4 VAST new vista of wage
"A controls seem to be opened
by the Presidents assumption of
authority to let the board rule
against wage increases, even
outside the union field, and by
the Presidents limitation of SAL
aries to $4,000 net. after taxes.
But this vista moves forward
or backward, like a stereopticon
slide, depending upon what Off
cial eyes you attempted to see
it through.
The wage provision of the
executive order, for instance,
directed adjustments to correct
embellishments ''ineQuali-
ties" "substandards," gross
inequities" or to aid in the
effective prosecution of the
war. - =
They might as well have put
in ''or for any other purpose.
Under this, wages could be gen.
orally raised to any height.
The $4,000 restriction also
contained so many loopholes
that it looked like a Swiss
cheese in which the holes were
larger than the substance. Ger
tainly it will allow salaries up
to $4,000 or more before taxes,
and perhaps even larger salaries
in a great many instances.
4 LSO, the order implied that
"A the income tax returns can |
be used to enforce this and other
wage provisions.
But we do not get the idea |
from these microscopic observa-
tions that the program is con-
sidered to be unwarranted or
unwelcome. The choice of SUI
preme Court Justice Byrnes,
with an acutely political mind.
TO answer all the above and
other questions. appears 10 be
accepted everywhere with salts
faction.
Mr.. Byrnes has never been at
the forefront of the reform ele-
ment of the New Deal in its
many talked-up programs to re-
wise governmental systems. His
legislative career in the Senate |
was devoted TO acting AS an eff
ficient go-between with this
group and the southern farm |
bloc Democrats.
His board will be probably |
only paper affair. He gener-
ally runs most shows in which |
he is involved.
Mr.. Roosevelt had to use his
unparalleled persuasive powers
TO get Byrnes from the bench |
for the job. 1t may now be told |
the President wanted Byrnes to |
handle the War Production
Board before Nelson took over,
hat u,oS t,pahla ~ cot hin, 20