Evening star., 1942-09-08
Roosevelt
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Continued From First Page.)
inf1ation program, but yesterday S
message and speech made no ref
erence to such move.
Links Wages and Prices.
1t seemed certain, in view of the
Presidents outline of his program
In his message and radio talk. that
no specific wage controls would be
proposed in new legislation.
But almost never did Mr.. Roose-
velt mention farm price ceilings
without in the next or the same
sentence calling for wage stabiliza-
ton. Early in the message he said:
"Our entire effort to hold the
cost of living at its present level
is now being sapped and under
mined by further increases in farm
prices and in wages, and by an ever
continuing pressure on prices result
ing from the rising purchasing
power of our people"
The prevention of an inhationary
spiral, he said. was a vital part
of winning the war" Victory would
be imperiled ''by a runaway domes-
tic economy"
Senator Brown said he did not see
how it would be possible to avoid
the adoption of amendments di-
rected at the wage question when
the new bill is brought before the
Senate.
Ceilings May Be Lowered.
Some farm Senators were critical
Of the attitude the President took
on agricultural prices, but others
said that If some guarantee was
given for farm income, it might be
possible to lower present ceilings.
This might be done, it was sug-
gested, by passage of legislation al
ready approved by the Senate, to
provide 100 per cent parity loans on
major crops.
Apparently in a move to make
farm price ceilings more acceptable
to the agricultural bloc, the Presi-
dent suggested that Congress con-
slider "in due time" legislation which
also would place floor under the
prices of farm products, in order
U maintain stability in the farm
market for a reasonable future
time"
4 tWe should find a practicable
haethod," he said, which will not
only enable us to place reasonable
raiIfnu pr -, q viv,,,,v,o y,riro ,,r,o,,
farm products, but which will en-
able us also to guarantee to the
farmer that he would receive
fair minimum price for his product
for one year, or even two years
or whatever period is necessary
after the war"
{ Victory Prime Objective.
MIR. Roosevelt told the Nation in
has report that he would not hesi-
tAte to ''use every power vested in
me to accomplish the defeat of our
enemies.
"The President has the powers,
under the Constitution and under
congressional acts" he said, ito
take measures necessary to avert a
disaster which would interfere with
the winning of the war"
II cannot tell" he said at another
point, what powers may have to be
exercised in order to win this war. .
In his demand for legislative
control over the cost of living, with
particular emphasis on farm prices,
the President gave solemn assur-
ance that failure to solve this
problem here at home-and to solve
1t now-will make more difficult
the winning of this war"
"If the vicious spiral of imitation
ever gets under way" he said, 1.-The
whole economic system will stagger.
Prices and wages will go up so rap
lily that the entire production pro-
gram will be endangered. The cost
OF the war, paid by taxpayers, will
jump beyond all present calcula-
tions. 1t will mean an uncontrol-
able rise in prices and in wages
which can result in raising the over
all cost of living as high as another
20 per cent"
Holds Sterilization Necessary.
overall stabilization of prices
salaries, wages and profits is neces-
sary to the continued increasing
production of planes and tanks ano
ships and guns"
The President said in his message
10 Congress that agriculture cell.
ings ought to be permitted at either
parity or the price levels which pre-.
vailed at some recent date, which.
ever was higher, leading some leg.
islators to expect compromis'
somewhere between the 100 anc
ITO per cent levels.
The Presidents contention tina