The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1943-03-03

lief would have been promptly
granted. He, however, preferred to
take the law in his own hands and
be mis- own judge and jury. He ac-
cordingly, raised his prices on dry
cleaning approximately SO lf3 per-
cent. in defiance of OPA regula-
tions, forcing this additional burd-
en- on the consumers of the commune
ity. Complaints poured into the
OPA office Immediately.
Nevertheless, in spite of increas-
ing pressure from customers, my
office continued to urge Mr.. Darnell
to comply with the regulations and
follow the proper procedure for se-
curing an adjustment. He continued
to procrastinate. AS a. matter of
fact, in spite of repeated urging on
my part and on the part of other
members of my staff, it was more
than four months after he was
first advised to file his petition that
lit was submitted to my office in
proper form to be considered by
Washington. 1t was Immediately
transmitted to Washington with
the history of the case. The Alaska
Office of Price Administration never
at any time offered Mr.. Darnell a
compromise. We simply told him,
in compliance with instructions
from Washington, that until he had
made restitution on his illegal
charges to the public for the pre-
vious five months, OPA could not
legally grant his application for
adjustment. He retaliated by deliv-
ering an "ultimatum" to the Office
of Price Administration under a
threat of closing his doors If it
were refused. I transmitted the ul-
timatum to Washington in wire
personally approved by Mr.. and
Mrs. Darnell Washington declined
to consider the ultimatun. He
closed his doors and issued the
garbled and incorrect statement to
The Empire, at the same time run
ming full page advertisement in
which he admitted his violation of
OPA regulations.
OPA has at all times been willing
to grant Mr. Darnell a price adj
justment. He simply declined to
meet the conditions under which
such adjustment could be granted.
OPA is bound. however, to respect
the rights of his customers and his
competitors who declined to join
him in the unauthorized increase
in prices and who secured relief
under proper procedure. Mr.. OAR
nell has not been forced out of bus
mess by the OPA. The OPA has
not forced Mr.. Darnell to discon-
tinue his civilian business. Zone
sentence deleted here.)
In his statement to The Empire,
Mr.. Darnell has discussed at length
a certain matter involving the pur-
chase of a turkey by the Office Of
Price Administration. The real
facts in this case are as follows
The OPA was conducting a COM
pliance survey, a routine matter
which is carried out regularly in
every town and in every store in
the Territory. Its inspector went
shopping for a turkey. She visited
every meat market in Juneau. She
found one violator. from whom She
purchased a turkey. When the need
Of retaining the turkey as evidence
had passed. it was given to the Min
field Home for Orphan Children,
located on Glacier Highway. OPA
never at any time fed the turkey
to its employees" which Mr.. OAR
nell has stated as fact, The turkey
which was given to the Winfield
Home was paid for by the staff
members of the OPA and not by
the OPA as a Government agency.
Naturally a request for the pur-
chase of turkey would not have
been honored by the Forestry Serv-
ice,s which acts as the fiscal agent
for the OPA, even If the OPA had
ever thought Of making such re-
quest. This statement was pure in
vention on the part of Mr.. Darnell.