Evening star., 1942-09-21
Senators Report
7
Food Price Rise
a, z
OF 4096 a Year
Committee Presents
Findings os Initiation
Measure Comes Up
BY the Associated Press.


The unprecedented anti-infia-
ton bill came up in the Senate
today, along with a committee
report that food prices had been
advancing at the rate of 40 per
cent year since last spring.
Lending further urgency to the
measure authorizing presidential
control of the cost of living were
these other findings by the Senate
Banking Committee:
Prices received by farmers had
risen IS per cent from August, 1889,
to August, 1912, while the prices paid
by the farmers had increased % per
cent in the same period.
Since 1889 hourly wage rates in
all manufacturing industries had
advanced about 30 per cent and that
the aggregate of wages and salaries
paid out had risen II per cent.
Labor Costs Rise Steadily.
From January /, 1941, to May.
1912, unit labor costs had increased
at the average rate of IL per cent
per month.
Unit labor costs will unques-
tionably increase still further, even
apart from increases in wage rates.
as consequence of the loss Of
skilled workers, introduction OF. less
skilled labor and inevitable trans
portatior and other delays"
Control Of wages and salaries
must proceed simultaneously with
control of food cost"
Senator Thomas, Democrat, Of
Oklahoma said a Senate Agriculture
Subcommittee would submit the fol-
lowing amendment to the bill to the
full Agriculture Committee tomor.
row:
Parity prices and comparable
prices for any agricultural commod-
tiles shall be determined as au-
thorized by existing law, but also
shall include all farm labor"
Estimates at liz Per Cent.
Senator Thomas estimated that
rule, If applied, would make the
ceiling prices of farm products ap-
proximately 112 per cent of parity, as
based on the index figures for the
period 1909-14.
President Roosevelt is on record
as "unalterably opposed" to any
change in the present method Of
computing parity.
Senator Thomas said the amend
ment was proposed by the American
Farm Bureau Federation, the Ma
tional Grange, the Council OF Farm
Co-operatives and others.
The Senate prepared to start de-
bate during the day on the measure
authorizing and directing the Presi-
dent to act before November | to
stabilize prices, wages and salaries
at September Is levels, so far as
| practical
The House, awaiting a decision
by its Rules Committee on the
length and scope of its prospective
debate, scheduled consideration of
a somewhat different version to-
morrow with Speaker Rayburn pre-.
dieting passage of its bill Wednes-
day.
Senate Action Seen by Friday.
Senator Brown, Democrat. of
| Michigan expressed hope the Senate
would pass the bill Wednesday, but
Republican Leader McNary said
final action might not come until
Thursday or Friday.
Senator Brown and Chairman
Wagner of the Senate Banking
Committee are joint sponsors of tf,e
| Senate anti-inf1ation legislation.
A speedy adjustment of Senate.
House differences would be neces-
sary to put the measure on the
Presidents desk Saturday, five DAYS
before the October l deadline he
set IN his you do it or I will mes.
sage to- Congress of September 7.
With this rapidfire timetable In
mind, the administration mustered
forces in a confident attempt to beat
OF the expected farm bloc amend
mentS which would boost parity by
| including labor costs.
Under terms of both House and
Senate measures the President would
be authorized to suspend present
provisions of law which prevent the
| fixing OF farm prices at less than lao
per cent of parity. -
AS both bills were approved lby
the Banking Committees, the Presi-
dent could order farm prices held
at approximately their September Is
levels, which Senator Brown said
averaged about LOT per cen of
parity. In no case, however. could
the President order the maximum
price of any commodity fixed at
below 100 per cent of parity.
AS a concession to the farm bloc
the Senate committee wrote into its
measure a direction to the Presi-
dent to lift ceilings where he found
such action necessary to meet IN.
creased farm labor costs. Senator
Brown said he thought this pro.
vision was satisfactory" to tffs
farm leaders. "
The House and Senate bills also
(See IMITATION, Page A-6)