Evening star., 1942-08-22
The MISSING Links

The Missing Links
Two members of the Presidents
official family-Secretary of Agricul-
ture Wickard and Price Admins
traitor Henderson-have done some
PLAIN talking to the American people
this week. The nub of what thew
had to say was that we are fast losing
the battle against imitation because
two essential links of the anti-infla-
ton program, the stabilization of
wages and farm prices, have not vet
been forged
1t has been almost four months
since the President proclaimed his
seven point program for holding
down the cost of living. The third
point called for the stabilization of
wages and the fourth for the stabili-
zatlon Of farm prices. The impor-
tant thing to remember" Mr.. Roose-
velt said at that time, lis that each
one OF these points is dependent on
the others if the whole program is to
work"
Speaking in Norfolk Thursday
night, Mr.. Henderson pointed out
that farm cash income has risen IS
per cent since the outbreak of war in
Europe and that wage increases dur
ing the past year have amounted to
$1,000, 100000 month. And farm
prices and wages are still climbing,
while the cost of living also mounts
steadily.
Considering his past position. the
fortnight speech by Secretary Wick
ard Wednesday night was even more
significant.
Pointing out that we are not only
losing the war on the combat fronts.
but that we are also in imminent
danger OF losing the fight to main
tain a reasonably stable economy at
home, Mr.. Wickard declared that
the time has come for united action
across the whole front to keep up
production and to hold down in
creases in industrial prices, farm
prices and wages"
The taking Of the steps which are
SO plainly necessary, he added. is
being held up behind log-iam of
unWillingness of each OF the great
economic groups to accept controls
unless, at the same time, controls are
placed on the others Farmers" he
continued, "are ready to lead in
breaking this log jam"
By way OF lending substance to this
assurance, Mr.. Wickard said he had
come to the conclusion that the
statutory provisions against imposing
price ceiling on processed farm prod
ucts under ITO per cent of parity was
mistake. He had supported this
| provision when it was before the
| House, but said he now believes 1t
should be repealed
II this provision were to be re-
pealed, farm prices presumably
would be held down to about the
parity level, and this would be a
highly important gain for the price
control effort Obviously. it is going
to be much harder to get this pro-
vision out of the Price Control Act
than 1t would have been to have kent
it out in the first place, but this is
no reason why the attempt should
not be made. If Mr. Wickard brings
his full influence to bear, the con-
| gresslonal farm bloc may be won
over, and, in that event, there would
be real hope Of some effective stabi-
lization Of wages.
| Neither Of these things is going to
be accomplished, however, by addi-
tional speeches or further evasion of
political risks. AS Mr.. Wickard put
1t, this is time for action, not talk.
And that means action by this ad-
ministration and this Congress. If
| the hard task is put over until after
the November election, the cost of
| living probably will have gotten out
VI lldlld-IOl because we 90 not know
what should be done or because the
| people as a whole are unwilling to
accept the restraints, but because the
men who are directing the Govern
ment shrank from facing the sup
posed political danger of coming to
grips with the pressure groups which
so far have resisted the effective
stabilization of both wages and farm
prices