Evening star., 1942-06-02
Henderson Praises
PubIic's operation
In Initiation Fight
Lunotie Fringe Won't
Get in Our Woy,' He
Tells Radio Forum

dress last night emphasized that
America will not stand for a lun-
tic getting in our way any more
than we're going to stand for the
sixth-column price chislers getting
in our way"
Speaking over the National Radio
Forums Blue Network broadcast
from WMAL and arranged by The
Star, Mr.. Henderson denounced
boarding as silly and unpatriotic,
said price control is essential to win
ming the war, and praised the pub
lies cooperation in rationing pro-
grams.
He told Senator Brown, Democrat,
Of Michigan and Representative Pat
man, Democrat, of Texas, who ap-
peared on the program with him in
a question on-and-answer discussion of
price controls, that retail prices at
the March levels would be main
tanned.
Charter of Security"
This means that all adjustments
to reflect higher costs of any kind
must be made below the ceiling at
retail" Mr.. Henderson said. Freight
rates, wages and all other items of
cost must be dealt with under the
price ceiling, but none should be
allowed to pierce the ceiling"
Asked to clarity his characterize
ton of the price control order as the
"citiZen's charter of security" Mr..
Henderson said uncontrolled prices,
meaning imitation, would have been
"a sixth column working from
within" Price control, rent control
and rationing, he emphasized, were
resorted to in order to secure the
average American against rising
living costs and the terrible dangers
this country would face from
spiralling imitation"
One reason for price control, Mr..
Henderson said, is that "our Gov
ernment can plan a war program
without having it knocked into
cooked hat by runaway prices Tor
vital equipment + needs.
Share and Share Alike.
Another reason is that the
money our people are saving ana
lending the Government will be
returned to them dollar for dollar
and not in phony dollars, And
another thing price control guar
antees is that scarce goods aren't
going to be gobbled up by those
who can pay high prices, but that
those goods will be available, share
and share alike to every one, rich
and poor, at stable prices"
Asserting his Office is getting 100
per cent cooperation from intel
ligent business men, the price ad-
ministrator warned the few chlSelerS
of the great force Of public opinion
and united public action" He
added, I'D like to point out to the
few amateur saboteurs and prospec-
tive penny prof1teers in our midst
that there's rat poison hidden
around somewhere"
Asked by Senator Brown to tell
the American people about the type
of personnel administering the
Price Control Act, M. Henderson
replied:
practical men-from every field
where good brains and horse sense
have made their marks. Dollar-a-
year men, professors on leave, ex-
perts on commodities, millionaires,
heads of businesses, research men
and several drafted from other Gov
eernment departments, and no po-
litical tests. either. But every one
of them understands what we are
doing and trying to do.
No Theorists, Crack-Pots.
There are no fuzzy y-headed theo-
rists or crack Drained eXperimenters
playing ducks and brakes with the
daily lives and family budget of
35 100000 families. The men who
work under me are hard-headed
and intelligent. Id like to lay
that one right on the line"
Mr. Henderson told Representa-
tive Patman. in response to a ques-
ton. that without rent control there
could be no effective control of the
cost Of living >. TO save 3 cents
on groceries per day and spend 81
per month extra on rent is saving
at the spigot and wasting at the
bung.' Rent control and price con-
troll are the same thing because
your rent is the price tag on the
roof over your head"
Gnnnro1 hn
avoided, Mr.. Henderson affirmed, to
achieve effective control of prices.
Amplifying this theme, Mr.. Hender-
son said:
However, wage stabilization does
not mean wage freezing-by that I
mean that substandard wages
should be raised-and, in the in
terests of maximum production for
war, any Embellishments between
the higher wage groups should be
troned out equitably. This is not
wage freezing and is not incon-
sistent with OPA's opposition to
any general rise in wages"
Must Show Ceiling Prices.
The average housewife making
retail purchases has the right to
know the ceiling prices without
straining her eyes or neck or ask
ing salesman, Mr.. Henderson said,
adding that once the merchants
post these prices, that job does not
have to be done again. The ceiling
price must be visible at the place
where the customer ordinarily
makes the purchase-on the coun-
ter, Mr.. Henderson added.
The o. P. A. will need the subsidy
power on certain commodities, per-
haps including gasoline, Mr.. Hender-
son said
Sensible people will not store gas
oline or other inflammable material
in cellars and garages, Mr.. Hender-
son said in reply to an observation
by Mr.. Patman.
The war undoubtedly will bring
more rationing, but events will die
tate that and how much" Mr.. Hen
derson said.
Senator Brown and Representa-
tive Patman handled the Price Con-
troll Act in their respective branches
~ CorOreSs