Evening star., 1942-04-27

disputes.
All strikes are at q minimum.
Existing contracts between en-
ployers and employees must, In
all fairness. be carried out to the
expiration date OF these con-
tracts. The existing machinery
for labor disputes win, of course,
continue to give due considcra-
ton to inequalities and the elm
ination Of substandards OF living.
repeat that all of these proc
esseS, now in existence, win work
equitably for the overwhelming
proportion Of all our workers II
We can keep the cost OF living
down and stabilize their re-
muneration.
Most workers In munition in
dustries are working far more
than 10 hours q week, and should
continue to be paid at time and
q half for overtime. Otherwise,
their weekly pay envelopes would
be reduced.
All these policies will guide
all Government agencies.
In regard to item four, prices
Of farm products: For nearly
nine years 1t has been the pol
Icy OF the Government to seek
an objective known as parity"
or. in other words, farm prices
that give the farmer an assur-
ance of equality In individual
purchasing power with his fel-
low Americans who work in in
dustry. Some Of the products
OF the farms have not vet
reached the stage of parity.
Others have exceeded parity.
Under existing legislation a
ceiling cannot be placed on GER
tain products until they reach q
level somewhat above parity.
This calls for the second
legislative action which I have
mentioned. Under a complicated
formula in the existing law prices
for farm products-prices which
housewives have to pay for many
articles of food-may rise to IIo
per cent of parity or even higher.
1t Is the fault Of the formula.
In the case Of many articles this
can mean q dangerous increase
IN the cost of living for the av-
erage family over present prices.
kationing Of Scarce Items.
Called Democratic Method.
In fairness to the American
people as whole, and adhering
to the purpose of keeping the
cost Of living from going up, I
ask that this formula be cor
rected, and that the original and
excellent objective of obtaining
parity for the farmers of the
United States be restored.
1t would be equally harmful to
the process OF keeping down the
cost of living If any law were
passed preventing the Govern
ment from selling any of its own
surplus farm commodities at the
market price. AS q national
policy, the ceiling on farm prod
ucts-in other words, the maxi
mum prices to be received by the
producers of these products
should be set at parity
With respect to item five-the
purchase of war bonds-the
American people know that if we
N6x1d use IT, Nllt66 1--we
nee6 to pay aUrs theA Wxf AfiU at
the same time prevent a dis
astrous rise in the cost of living,
K1-sShall hare~.to douhlesnnd
.q1Ee tltAn d6ttle the &16r of
our savings. Every dime and
dollar not vitality needed for alb
solute necessities should go into
war bonds and stamps to add to
the striking power of our armed
forces.
II these purchases are to have
q material effect In restraining
price increases they must be
made out of current income. In
almost every individual case they
should be big enough to mean
rigid self-denial, a substantial
reduction for most of us in the
scale of expenditure that is COM
Portable and easy for us. We
cannot fight this war, we cannot
exert our maximum effort, on a
spend-as-usual basis. We can
not have all we want, if our
soldiers and sailors are to have
all they need
have been urged by many
persons and groups to recon-
mend the adoption of a COM
'pulsory plan of savings by de-
Quoting certain percentage of
everyone's income. 1 prefer,
however, to keep the voluntary
plan in effect as long as possible.
and I hope for a magnificent re-
sponse.
With respect to item six
rationing-it is obviously fair
that where there is not enough
OF any essential commodity to
meet all civilian demands, those
who can offord to pay more for
the commodity should not be
privileged over others who can
not. am confident that as to
many basic necessities of life
rationing will not be necessary,
because we shall strive to the
utmost to have an adequate
supply. But where any important
article becomes scarce, rationing
Is the democratic, equitable So
luton.
Action Taken to Curtail
Installment Buying.
Item seven-paying of debts
and curtailing installment buying
should be made effective as
soon as possible now that money
Is becoming more plentiful. Those
who comply with it will be CRATE
full that they have done so, when
this war is over. Elimination of
private debts and. an accumula-
ton of savings will provide a
fNrx,. ~ D..