The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-07-08
AveRrINe IMITATION

AVERTlNG INITIATION
The Administration anti-infla.
tion program is heading for spec
tscular showdown on domestic eco
monte policies 1t is being bally-
hooed as contest between Price
Administrator Leon Henderson and
the Administration on one side and
Congress on the other, but il Is
really more than that. Ii is battle
royal-no holds barred-in which
meet the special and specifically
conflicting interests OF politicians,
farmers. wage ainers, employers.
housewives. manufacturers, motor
lists. oil leaders, bond holders and
all the rest OF us if any.
Henderson still hopes 10 convince
the Senate Appropriation Subcom-
mittee that his office should have
in this fiscal year Sl6l.000.000 in
stead Of $75.o00,0O0 for addi-
tional employees TO enforce proyi-
sions OF the law. He also believes
the government must adopt a sub
sidy program to enable some manu-
fscturers and growers 10 maintain
their operations under the price
ceilings imposed in May.
The price ceiling was modified
when Henderson authorized an in
crease of Is per cent--perhaps more
in the price OF the 1912 crop OF
canned and dried fruits. Rep. Thom-
as r. Eliot D.. Mass. an Admin
istrstion supporter. introducing a
bill 10 authorize the Sec, etary OF
Agriculture TO set the price OF agrt-
cultural products al parity instead
of 10 per cent of parity, declared:
The break in the price ceiling
has started with the increase OF ID
per cent in all canned and dried
fruit. This is just the beginning IN
less action is taken by the Congress.
Fruit growers can charge price OF
at least 10 per cent Of parity. The
farm bloc looks ridiculous when II
says that every price ceiling on
farm products must be at least 10
per cent higher than a fair price
Yet. that is what they wrote into
the law
There are bitter comments in
both Senate and House as Congress
maueuyers for a contest which, on
the economic front. might be meas
ured for importance with the United
Nations battle in the Middle East.
Who is right and who is wrong IN
the anti-inflation dispute probably
will not be decided until the story
is old and has been written by an
objective historian.
Some congressman are angry be-
cause Henderson's vast proposed
Office OF Price Administration bu-
geaucracy might encroach on their
own political preserves back home.
especially in the selection Of state
and regional directors. Henderson
wants $4,000 employees and Congress
is disposed TO give him only $4,000.
There is bitter congressional pro
test against the pa cents increase
in gasoline prices in the eastern
rstioned area, the contention being
that ali parts Of the country should
help pay the freight for bringing
expensive tank car gasoline into
this area.
Farmers and wage earners have
their usual large and active blocs
of congressional supporters, too.
And one Of the immediate problems
seems TO be that neither farmers
nor wage earners are willing 10 sur
render certain advantages they have
under the existing anti-intlstioi.
program Those advantages include
agriculture's 10 per cent bulge above
parity price levels and l7bor's con.
tidence that wages can continue 10
increase despite price freezing.
4 question so farreaching as an
anti-inflation program must neces-
ssrily affect millions OF people and
quite naturally some will gain as
others lose. What remains to be
demonstrated Is the willingness d
various interests 10 sacrifice per
sonal gains for the good OF the nd
ton as whole.
Somewhere there must be an
oquslizing plan TO make the business
OF sacrificing more general In past
wais II has been too one-sided. 10
this war our social detectives are a.
least receiving more attention, but
the esult will be the same as before
II any one group gains enough
power to force special fayors and
then demands those fayors n
strong nations. fighting to help the
weak are 10 win this war. they
must have the support Of ST. oug in
diyiduals and groups within the "a.
tion who are also willing to help the
weak.
Greed will destroy power Histosg
Is filled with proof OF that fact. Our
safety rests very largely in our
ability to accept 1t and volunteer
sane adjustments while there Is
efflt tfrnp