Evening star., 1943-06-15
Food
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
ought to be able to meet expenses
and get a profit. II their expenses
rise, he said. food prices have to
rise and that affects the cost of liv-
ing and contributes to an inflation-
ary spiral.
The way out of this. he made
clear he believes, is to take up the
differential through subsidy pay
ments, unless someone can figure
out better means.
The President said rents had been
stabilized in a good part Of the
country and that the prices of furni-
ture and clothing had been stab
ilized, but food costs, which he
said constitute the final third of
living costs, have not been stab
ilized.
Remarks Follow Conference.
Increases are creeping in along
the line from producer to distributor,
Mr.. Roosevelt said, adding that
farmers prices should not go down,
nor should the prices of distributors
be reduced so that means, he added,
that ceilings must be broken unless
somebody pays the difference be-
tween what an article legitimately
should be sold for and the ceiling
level.
Mr.. Roosevelts discussion fol-
lowed the conference this morning
with the six members Of the House
Agriculture Committee who wanted
a single food head named and ap-
parently got little encouragement.
They left the White House talking
about legislative action to achieve
their problem.
Chairman Fulmer said after the
conference that he felt if a car
is to be set up the move would be
up to Congress. He added that my
feeling is that they tthe subsidy
advocates, want to continue to ex-
pertinent. He added that Congress
Just definitely doesn't want to con-
tinue the experimentation"
Conference Is Second.
Today's conference followed an
other between the President and
congressional leaders yesterday, after
which Senator George, Democrat, of
Georgia advocated the car plan
While most Of the controls over
production now rest with the War
Food Administration. those over
food prices and rationing are in the
hands of the ONCE of Price Admin
lstration.
Mr.. Fulmer said efforts to control
prices had proceeded on the wrong
premise. and that the start was 60
ing to have to be made from the
bottom with proper differentials be-
tween ceilings maintained all along
the line.
This should apply to farmers
prices and those of wholesalers and
retailers, he added,
Deliver Draft of Bill.
Mr.. Fulmer said he and his COL
leagues urged the President to
create the new food setup by execu-
tive order, but left with him the
draft Of bill through which it is
proposed to accomplish that end
should Mr. Roosevelt fail to act. The
chairman said Mr.. Roosevelt would
confer with James F. Byrnes,
OWN director, before pressing for
legislative action. Mr.. Byrnes sat
in on this mornings conference,
along with Economic Sterilization
Director Fred Vinson.
We are not concerned with tear
ing up any agencies-the OPA can
continue-but the food administra-
tor should have the last word in
stead of running all over the lot
trying to get some matters cleared
up that have been hanging for
MONTHS Mr.. Fulmer said.
Asked if the centralized food con-
troll he was advocating also would
regulate farm manpower, Mr.. Full
mer said it would.
Chester Davis, food administrator,
would be acceptable for the sug-
gested control Office, MIR. Fulmer
said, but added he and his colleagues
were not urging his appointment.
Discussing prices generally, Mr..
Fulmer declared that labor is using
the smallest percentage of it's dollar
now to buy food than in any time
in history" but he added that the
whole worry" about food prices
seems to bear on their relation to
labor and consumer.
He said factories and businesses
are closing down because Of the food
situation, and pointed out that
farmers are now getting less than a
dollar for corn In the growing areas
because Of the price of SLOT a bushel
fixed in Chicago.
Grange Head Hits Subsidies.
Meanwhile, in attributing a food
shortage to "b1ngling price-control
methods" Albert S. Goss, master of
the National Grange, told the Senate
Banking Committee that a program
Of subsidy payments to roll back
prices will cost "a great deal more
than 5000, ,OCo, ,000."
Philip Murray, president Of the
Congress of Industrial Organizations.
who was expected to make an appeal
for subsidies in duel with Mr.. Goss,
was unable to attend the session and
tentatively was scheduled to be
heard tomorrow.
Others die for you; the least you
can do Is buy for them. Get your