Evening star., 1942-04-29

of the price ceilings order issued
last night told in question and
d1s,Der form:
Q. Why was the general maxi
mum price regulation issued?
A. The regulation is war
measure issued to stop further
increases in the cost Of living
and in other prices.
@. Why have prices been ris-
ing?
A. Fighting the war requires
huge expenditures for ornaments
and turns thousands of plants
from producing civilian goods to
producing war goods. This re-
suits in increased wage payments
but smaller production of civilian
goods. Thus demand is rising
while supply is declining. The
result is higher prices.
@. What prices are covered by
the regulation?
A. Nearly all prices charged by
retailers, wholesalers, manufac-
turers and producers of raw ma
terials. The only important cost
of-living exclusions are certain
food products.
@. What are the ceiling prices?
A. In general, the highest
charged during March, 1912, by
each individual seller.
Different Dates.
@. When does the ceiling be-
come effective?
A. /. For goods sold at retail,
the ceilings apply on May 18,
1912. 2. For services at retail.
that is, rendered to the ultimate
consumer, the ceiling applies on
July !, 1912. 3. For sales by
manufacturers, producers and
wholesalers, and services rem
dered to an industrial consumer,
the ceiling applies on May II.
1912.
@. Will the ceiling prices be
the same at every store for the
same article?
A. No. In general, the ceiling
is the highest price at which
each store sold an article during
March. The maximum price will
vary from store to store just as
prices varied from store to store
during March.
@. Can prices lower than the
ceiling be charged?
A. Yes, they can go as low as
the seller wishes. But they can
not go l cent above the ceiling.
Remember that the purpose of
this action is to stop the rise in
prices.
Q. What action has been taken
regarding rents?
A. o. P. A. has designated 1923
groups of communities as de
fense-rental areas" and has
taken the first steps to check
the rise in housing rents in these
areas.
Must Post Prices.
@. How will the housewife
know what the maximum prices
are?
A. The regulation lists about
100 of the most important groups
of items in the average family's
cost of living. The maximum
prices of these items must be dis
played by any retailer selling
them after May l0
@. What about prices OF goods
that are not on the cost-of- living
list?
A. Until July l the housewife
should ask the storekeeper for his
maximum prices. After July l
the retailer must have prepared
statement of the highest prices
for all commodities or services
which he delivered or supplied
during March. This may be ex-
amined by any one on request.
Q. What should the housewife
do if she believes that she is re-
quired to pay more than a store
keepers maximum?
A. She should ask the store
keeper TO explain the price to her.
If she still believes that she is
required to pay more than his
legal maximum she should COM
municate the fact to o. P. AS
nearest War Price and Rationing
Board or its nearest local Office.
Provides Comparison.
@. How can the shopper obtain
a record showing what she paid
so that she can make positive
comparison with March prices?
A. Every store, when requested
by a customer. must give a sales