Evening star., 1942-11-25
0PA Authorizes Slash
OF Excess Baggage
In Retail Business
Allows Stores to Reduce
Peucetime Services
Without Price Cuts
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Seeking to remove excess bag
gage" from wartime retailing, the
Office of Prime Administration has
authorized discontinuance or cur
tailment of many peacetime serv-
ices without requiring reductions in
ceiling prices.
Price Administrator Henderson 81
multaneously issued yesterday rec
commended standards of retail
practice" and recommended war
time management policies to aid
retail operations under the recently
announced retailers economy for
victory plan.
Mr.. Henderson said his action
followed demand by James F.
Byrnes, director of economic stabili-
zatlon, for streamlining of business
and increased Standardization.
The "anti-frill" retailers plan is
designed to conserve materials and
facilities for the war effort. to free
manpoWer for war production and
to allow retailers to operate under
what Mr.. Henderson called tough"
conditions in 1943.
Authorized Curtailments.
Except as specifically provided to
the contrary, Mr.. Henderson au-
thorized retailers to curtail or dis
continue the following:
Deliveries of reasonably carrvable
packages, except such emergency
purchases as prescriptions and sick
room supplies.
Sales on approval
Acceptance of articles returned by
customers. (This does not extend to
articles not delivered as represented
or orderedD
Gift wrapping and gift packing.
Lay-aWay and will-cal privileges.
Free telephone calls.
Services performed without rela-
ton to a specific sale. Examples: In
struction classes, style shows. store
decorations, free concerts, free re-
freshments and air-conditioning.
Compensating Price Cuts.
The order also states specifically
what the retailer cannot do without
a compensating reduction in ceiling
price. Included in the cannot" list
are the elimination of alteration or
remodeling services, repair, main
tenance or installation services Gus
tomarily sold with an article by way
OF guarantee. Similarly, it provides
that If delivery of on-carryable
packages is eliminated, the ceiling
price must be reduced by the amount
Of net cost to the consumer of having
delivery made by the most usual and
reasonable method of transportation.
A retailer who charged extra for de-
livery may drop delivery if he drops
the charge.
The recommended standards of
retail practice generally suggest the
elimination of the services the re-
tailers are authorized to discontinue
or curtail.
Management Policies Outlined.
Among recommendations for war
time management policies we're the
following:
Use self-service If feasible.
Standardize and urge manufac-
turers to standardize sizes.
Extend the use of Informative
labelling which gives full information
of quality, care and use of goods.
Simplify lines, with unnecessary
sizes and varieties dropped.
Pool deliveries.
Consolidate buying facilities and
adopt greater use of group buying.
Promote staggered payrolls for
local factories as a means of leveling
off weekly sales.
Adjust store hours to war labor
conditions.
Minimize full-time replacement of
war loss employees by consolidating
and rescheduling work wherever
possible and reduce the need of part
time employees by adopting pro-
motional policy that will reduce
weekend sales peaks.
Do no unnecessary remodeling, re-
pairing, or elaborate maintenance
work.