Evening star., 1943-01-20
Brown Sworn In
AsOPAChiei;
Several Resign
New Administrator
Promises to Keep
Public Informed

Price Administrator Prentiss
Brown declared today that ra-
tioning and price control should
not be looked on as an imposi-
ton on the people but as a pro-
lection for them. He said he in
tended to keep the public we'll
informed as to why we do the
things we do"
Discussing generally the price and
rationing situation with reporters,
only an hour after he had been
sworn in as the head of OPA, the
former Michigan Senator said he
would make no announcement on
policy or personnel matters until
ne had spent two weeks in Office
studying his new problems.
Mr.. Brown revealed he had re-
ceived several designations from key
officials of OPA. He added that
he would take no action on them
or make any announcement con-
corning them until given opportuni-
Cy 10 Talk With the men.
Oil Supply First job"
Mr.. Brown said that one of his
first jobs would be to look into the
supply situation of such things as
gasoline and fuel oil and to make
every effort to prepare for the fall
and winter of 1943 and 1914.
The vital thing in rationing, Mr..
Brown continued, is to get as full a
supply as possible.
II have realized fully that I was
placed here to look after the inter-
ests of the American consumer, do
ing full justice to the producer, but
remembering that Congress in pass
ing price control legislation in
tended that the consuming public
be protected" Mr.. Brown said at
another point in his press confer
ence.
Won't Announce Policy Yet.
I do not want to make any an
nouncement on policy or personnel
until I have spent 10 days to two
weeks in the Office" Mr.. Brown
continued. Il am very familiar
with the legislative side of price
control, but I am not familiar with
the various regulations and the
organization with which I am to
work. I think the country gen.
orally can't expect me to say any
thing about policy until 1 have had
opportunity to study the whole
situation. At the end of two weeks
will call another conference and
make such a statement"
Mr.. Brown said he had not heard
from members of the farm bloc in
Congress, who repeatedly opposed
him for the job because he spon-
sored in the Senate the stabilization
bill which enabled OPA to control
farm prices. The new price admin
istrator said he was confident that
farm prices could be kept under con-
troll. He said that wage control did
not present so difficult a problem
as the job of keeping the lid on
commodities.
Made Personal Inquiry.
Mr.. Brown revealed that he had
made personal investigation to de-
termine the problems of retail mer-
chants under the various pricing
regulations. He said that he found
that newspaper criticism of OPA
rules was considerably stronger than
the views of the merchants them
selves. He added that the nunoero,1c
forms which retailers have to fill
out for the OPA ARE not as onerous
as described in the press"
The policies of the OPA as laid
down by former Administrator Leon
Henderson will prevail during the
next two weeks, until he has
learned the business" Mr.. Brown
said. He revealed that he had spent
the last two days with Mr.. Hender-
son getting the feel of the office
and his ideas on things"
Discussing price control. Mr..
Brown said he did not think it is
possible to hold prices to a fiat
level. All experts agree, he added,
that a slow, gradual rise in living
costs is inevitable. He pointed out
that costs, however, have risen only
about one-half per cent a month
since price control became law, and
a total of SO per cent since Sep
tember, 1889. During the early DAYS
OF the last war, he said, living
costs rose 210 per cent.