The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-07-17
INDEPENDENCE OF THE PRESS
BY J. E. Jones

10y IL JULIUS
Washington, D. c., July 13-The
Director the United State Budget
gave proof that he is big enough for
the high position he holds when he
said a fe wdays ago: "It is plain
fact tina food prices in the stores
cannot be kept stable if prices re-
ceived by the farmers are permitted
to RISE 1t is equally plain that prices
in the stores cannot be kept stable
if general wage rise is permitted
to take place..
That is a perfectly clear statement
of the political problem upon which
the Administration, Senate and
House have been in disagreement
for many months 1t is high time
that the controversy should be
brought to a head.
A few days after the Budget Di-
rector made his statement the Wash
ington newspapers broke silence.
"The public had better learn now
instead of latter that price-freez-
ing DEGREES are no protection against
imitation" the Washington Post de-
clared in an editorial and it express
ed fear that 'the authorization pro-
gram will bog down" 1t called for a
fight for effective legislation again
st inflation," and warned: ut can
not be said that there is not enough
handwriting on the wall to prevent
this country from rushing down a
steep place into sea of imitation. -
The morning Post suggested Ere
stricted subsidies under compre-
hensive price-control plan" to re-
place the system employed by Adj
ministrator Henderson.
Around high noon the same day
the Washington Daily News warned
the public: ION every front America
slosing the war against imitation, -
and it added: Responsibility for
levying anti-infiationary taxes and
restricting agriculture to parity
prices was passed to Congress. Re-
sponsibility for wage sterilization
was assigned to the War Labor
Board. Responsibility for imposing
and maintaining ceilings on manu-
featuring, wholesale and retail
prices, and on rents, was left to
Leon Henderson Growers prices
and labor wage increases, both be-
yond Mr.. Henderson's control, have
forced Gamers and professors costs
up SO per cent. Congress frowns on
Government subsidies for the pro-
cessors and Gamers. The only al
tentative is to let them charge more
for their goods /. Hundreds of
thousands of other manufacturers,
and wholesalers, and retailers are
in the same deadly squeeze beween
rising costs and price ceilings =.
thesceilings must be punctured again
and again The War Labor Board
could help by giving real meaning
to wage sterilization"
The Cougar old Evening Star
thunders so seldom, that when il
does, all Washington knows there is
a storm and chain lighting rolling
near by, and that 'all is (not) quiet
along the potomac. 1t is the same
day--evening:
"a LOSING BATTLE" was the
Stars editorial headline, and here
are excerpts:
Zone of the most critical battles
of the wharf.-the fight against infla-
tion--is being lost at pace which
should cause deep and widespread
public concern. And it is being lost
single remedy can be expected to
turn the tide. The fight against infia-
ton also is being lost because the
administration, for political reasons,
has refused to adopt a firm policy
against unwarranted wage advances
Congress is not responsible for this
deficiency. The President and his ad-
visers have refused to let this phase
of the problem go before Congress,
preferring to deal with it in their
own way, but they have done vir-
tually nothing to prevent the gener-
al wage advance which now seems
all too imminent. So far as its in
fiatfonary effect is concerned, there
is no difference between a rise in
wage levels and an advance in farm
prices Both add to the cost of pro-
duction and tend to destroy price
ceilings imposed without taking
these added costs into account"
The Director of the Budget must
have taken satisfaction out Of the
endorsement of his bold stand by
three great Washington newspapers.
The Freedom of the Press and the
independence of the Press was re-
asserted in day: Morning. noon,
evening!
Economy LIN Home Heating
The heating Of homes, especially
those along the Atlantic Coast, will
be O serious undertaking this win
ter, even when adequate supplies Of