The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-01-29
By STAFF CORRESPONDENT


It is the growing opinion here
that partial dictatorship will have
to, replace action by congress on
more and more measures which
are vital to the preservation of
our national economy.
Although partisanship in con-
gress has been pretty well hush
ed up, the approaching congress
sional election is obiously in
fluencing and delaying legislation.
The price control bill is the pre-
sent glowing example. President
Roosevelt told congress last sum-
mer that this legislation must be
rushed through in order to pre-
vent prices from skyrocketing.
But the bill has now been in the
hands of congress for almost six
months and is still too weak to
stem many Of the price rises
which already have cost the pub
lie over 100000, 900.
When a price control bill was
passed by the house, even many
of those who voted for it admitted
that it didn't have any teeth in it
and that the house had decided to
pass the buck to the senate. But
the senate, after weeks of need
less delay, refused to accept the
responsibility for curbing prices
on many commodities and finally
agreed on what was properly
termed a farm relief measure"
rather than a price control bill.
In its present form it looks as
though we'll be right back where
we started from six months ago,
with prices continuing to go
higher and higher. The next step
will probably be to put more
into the hands of Leon Henderson,
director of civilian supply, and
let him dictate what prices will be
on one line of goods after another.
It is agreed by most observers
here that congress can only blame
itself for the power it will grad
ually be forced to turn over to in.
dividuals if it continues with its
present unsatisfactory policies in
the face of this great national
emergency.
Another example of growing
dictatorship is the vast amount
of power given to the head of the
new war production board, DON
aid Nelson. This step, however,
has met the general approval of
all fa4tions. For many months
business leaders have criticized
the President for not passing on
some of his powers to one man
who could dictate production poll
cies. The President has now made
that move and has appointed
man whose ability is respected by
everyone.
Mr.. Nelson, former $70,000-a-
year vice president of Sears-Roe-
buck, actually has the assignment
of winning the war so far as the
winning of the war depends on
the production of tanks, planes,
guns, ships and other equipment.
He will be able to make decisions
which have never before, even
during the last war, been vested
in any man other than the Presi-
dent.
Although the Senate Truman
committee, investigating defense
production, has made some start
ling statements about last years
inefficiency and the lack Of CO.
operation of some industries, most
of the reports seem to be taken
with a grain of salt here.
The charge, for example, that
the automobile manufacturers
could have produced a lot more
war equipment last year if they
had made less automobiles, has
been answered satisfactory by
leading automobile men. The
pointed out the enormous job of
making ready for mass production
of war supplies and showed why
the continuation of automobile
manufacturing did not interfere
with maximum speed in getting
the tools and building set for war
production. These statements are
generally accepted here and it is
admitted that industry in this
country is getting into about war
production faster than it did in
any other nation. The only justifi-
cation for criticism seems to be
that automobile manufacturers
were permitted last year to use
an enormous quantity of needed
materials in making automobiles.
Leaders of the war effort here
are generally impatient over
charges of neglect during the
year. In the few instances where
neglect or delay might properly
be charged, they are more in a
mood to let by-gones be by-gones
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