The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-12-31
'"!'wtt* WASHINGTON
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suit OF Leon HENDERSON, reSlgna-
ton as chief of the Office of Price
Administration have not yet been
determined, but there is little
doubt that the 1943 plan will be
quite different from the one in
force today.
Although Mr.. Henderson was
one of the most hardworking and
energetic men in Washington and
was widely respected for his
whole-hearted effort to prevent
initiation and to set up plan Tor
the fairest distribution of goods
to the people, it is generally
agreed here that his resignation
at this time was advisable.
In the first place, the reason
Mr., Henderson gave for resign
ing-poor health-was not gwen
merely as a screen for covering
ND the real explanation. HIS
closest friends here say that ne
has been suffering for some
months and is in real need OF a
rest. But, in addition, he has I'M
doubtedly become very dlscour-
aged by the mounting criticism
of his work which has come from
all sides. ,
His biggest problem has been
with congress and it is known
here the new congress was plan
ming to make things even haroer
for him than did the l94z session
Mr. Henderson believed that the
success of rationing and price
control depended largely on riglo
enforcement, but congress re1us-
ed to give him the funds Wnlcll
he considered necessary to 90 an
adequate enforcement job. Some
of his supporters say that pc
cause of this refusal, the puonc
has had to pay as much as elgnt
billion dollars extra for the goods
purchased during the past year
Others feel that no matter nov
much had been appropriated, II
would still have been Impossible
70 keep the cost of living from
rising. H.. nv
# was unfortunate that MT:
uenderson's resignation came at
the same time as the announce
oent of the acute gasoline short
age in the East, for many people
connected these two pieces Oh
news and concluded that Mr.
Henderson was walking out on
problem that had become too
hot for him to handle.
The people in the East feel that
the gasoline situation, as we'll as
most other sudden shortages
have been badly bungled by
somebody in Washington. Inc
greatest blame falls on the
shoulders of the Office OF Price
Administration although, IN the
case of the gasoline shortage, al
most an equal amount of blame
ie aimed at Harold Ickes, VINO Is
IN charge of the nations OIL sup
ply. u,;11-
Fasteners have shown a Will
ingness to give up all unnecessary
use of their automobile and rea-
lie the need of stringent gasoine
IoIn
rationing, but feel that o11lclals
here made the present problem
more acute by public announce
ments of the shortage before de-
termining what they were going
to do about it.
Checkups showed that as soon
as newspaper headlines warned
eaterners that ga" cards would
probably be suspended, there was
a rush to the gasoline stations by
those holding "a" cards to get
their tanks filled up before the
ruling was made definite. Thus
the gasoline stations, which were
low on supplies, were soon drleo
up completely.
Il seems to be more apparent
to the public than to officials mere
that timing" in announcements
of shortages and rationing plans
is of the utmost Importance.
First they saw a sugar FAMINE
come before sugar rationing went
into effect, because the govern
ment issud warning about the
scarcity. That served as an lnVl-
tation to hoarders to stock up.
Then came the announcement
that coffee was due for rationlng
and housewives Immediately took
this as a cue to buy a little
extra coffee. In the coffee stu
alton it could hardly be consld-
cred a matter of hoarding-out
if each housewife had tried to
get one extra pound Of coffee 1t
would have doubled the amount
needed by the stores of the coun-
try at time when coffee was
hard for them to get.
If the government had begun
rationing coffee as soon as the
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