Evening star., 1943-06-20
The House RevoIts

Lie NOICS NY W1AAC1l VIC 11OQSC 1ldo
sought to strike down the admins
tration's food subsidy program and
slash the appropriation for the ONCE
of Price Administration cannot be
brushed aside as nothing more than
an outburst of irresponsible legisla-
tive activity. 1t is undoubtedly true
that some of the things which the
House did we're unwise. For instance,
it does not seem possible to justify
an arbitrary cut of 20 per cent in
funds for OPA at a time when that
agency is confronted with Job that
Is growing in complexity and scope.
Nor does it seem possible to defend
what appears to be a blanket ban on
all subsidies-good as we'll as bad.
But these deficiencies should not
serve to obscure the fundamental
significance of this revolt in the
House. The actual decisions made,
whether sound or unsound, were
aimed only a. specific phases OF the
administrations conduct of the war
on the home front. What is of pri-
mary Importance is the state of mind
which caused the legislators to deal
with OPA and the subsidy program
In such summary fashion.
This state Of mind is compound
of confusion and apprehension, and
1t extends to the people of the coun-
try as we'll as to the members Of the
House AS the evidence accumulates
that the administration has bungled
Its domestic program, particularly
the food program, the natural in
clination is TO strike back at the most
conspicuous target, which in this
case happens to be the OPA. This
may be unwise, but it is fact which
the President and his advisers would
do we'll to take into account.
The history of the subsidy program
serves to illustrate the point. Sub
sides first were proposed as a means
of stimulating agricultural produc-
ton in cases where unusual costs
made farming improbable, to Offset
abnormal transportation costs for a
few key commodities and to encour-
age production of certain critical
and scarce minerals. To this there
was no valid objection. But now we
see the administration, in the face
of strong congressional opposition,
insisting upon the use of subsidies to
roll back prices and to compensate
for wage increases. 1t is perfectly
obvious that the employment of a
subsidy to roll back the price of a
given article is merely a means of
covering up tie failure to hold down
the price in the first instance. And
the use of a subsidy to compensate
for wage increase merely paves the
way for new demands for still higher
wages. Is it any wonder that the
House and the people are confused
and resentful7
Another factor contributing to
public uneasineSS, aside from the
matter of subsidies, is the evidence
that the food program is being badly
miShandled by officials in Washing
ton who have little or no knowledge
of the problems of the farmer and
the food industry. The job of fitting
the complex food industry into the
wan economy was turned over to a
group of bright young men who knew
nothing whatsoever about the indus
try or its problems. The result is
that a disastrous breakdown is i'm
pending. Chester c. Davis, war food
administrator, said last week that
the management of the Nations
civilian food supply was one of the
most neglected problems on the home
front and warned that there is
going to be chaos if it is not managed
right" No one in the administration
tor out of it, has been heard to dis
pute this statement.
Subsidies arc no solution. Mr. Davis
appealed for a Capitalization of au-
thority over the whole food program;
not necessarily in himself, but some
where. He called for an end to the
confusion which grows out of vague
executive orders that split authority
and disperse responsibility In effect,
he was joining in the congressional
demand for a food "czar," despite
the Presidents rejection of the re-
quest earlier in the week.
1t may be hoped, however, that
these more recent developments will
persuade the President and his ad-
visers of the wisdom of reconsidering
their course, for unless some decisive
corrective action is taken there is
every reason to fear that Americans
are going to learn what hunger really
means. And the people sense that
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