Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-09-24

AAoAio1llS VI tIlC
rubber situation as yIs
bungling and Sc $B Is.
verely criticized - zaz
its failure to build up sufficient
stock piles of raw rubber and other
strategic materials before the out
break of the war. The report evil
IDENTIFY got under the Presidents skin
because Immediately following the
Baruch report, he named William M.
LETTERS, well known railroad eXecu-
tive, rubber car, and he is going
ahead in manner that is restoring
confidence. He promises the pro-
duction of 100000 tons next year,
which will be sufficient for all mill
tary needs and necessary civilian
activities. AS I understand it, both
petroleum and alcohol formulas will
be used. It is to be hoped that the
alcohol process will gradually sup
plant the former as it would, in time,
use up all grain surplusses and that
in turn would solve our farm prob
lem.
Price Control.
Democratic and Republican Sena-
tors and Representatives alike, feel
resentful over that portion of the
Presidents Labor day message which
dealt with price control and they do
not take seriously his threat to act
if Congress does not do so by Octo-
Der /.
Early in the year Congress passed
a price control bill which was spon-
sored by the Administration. At that
time many pointed out that the ADJ
ministration plan would not work,
although all were of the opinion that
something should be done to regulate
prices and prevent initiation. OPP
ponents of the price control bill then
contended that as the measure did
not provide ceiling for all elements,
including wages, the plan could not
work, Notwithstanding the contention
of such experts as Price Administra-
tor Leon Henderson and Secretary
of Agriculture Wickard to the con-
trary
In asking for new legislation the
Administration in effect admits that
the present law is not operable. The
fact that living costs have greatly
increased since the law was passed
proves that it is not workable. No
one will disagree with the fundamen-
tai fact that Congress should immedi-
ately deal with the question of a
price control bill that covers every
thing, including wages. Farmers
neither ask for nor expect unreason-
able prices; neither does the rank
and file of labor ask for wages that
are beyond reason. After all, all
realize that the value of the dollar
is measured by its buying power.
If the cost of living can be stabilized
and prevented from rising, no one
will object to a reasonable stabili-
cation of prices and wages.
Truman Committee Reports.
Following the report of the Baruch
committee the nation was shocked
by the disclosures of the Truman
committee of the Senate made pub
lie on September IA. This COM
mittee, headed by Senator Harry
Truman, Democrat of Missouri, OPEN
ly charged, after thorough investiga-
ton, that American pursuit planes
are inferior to those of Germany
and Britain; that the Army and Navy
had been unable to establish a unity
of command in Alaska and that the
efforts of Donald Nelson, head of
the War Production board, to in
crease war production are being
hamstrung by obstruction, not only
in the government departments, but
also in the armed forces. The COM
mittee brought into the open the
muddling and bungling attempts to
solve the steel shortages and dis
closed the continued waste in Army
construction and released its report
in order that the pressure of public
opinion might be crystallized into a
demand for the elimination Of these
distractions to our war effort.
Senator Truman stated on the
floor of the Senate last Friday that
his committee was reluctant to criti-
CHE the armed services with war in
progress but summarized the atti-
tude of the committee by saying:
Something has got to be done to
wake up those brass hats and make
them obtain the best planes posi-
BILE" The committee paid great tri-
butte to our Army and Navy pilots
and concluded that "they are entitled
to the best planes we can give them"
The committee vigorously pointed out
that unified command is absolutely
necessary, particularly in Alaska.
1t further disclosed that a slack of
unity of command was one of the
most important circumstances con-
tributing to the disaster at Pearl
Harbor."
The report of this committee, DOM
mated by Administration support, is
further evidence of the determina-
ton of the Congress to arouse the ma
L. u.