Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-10

haps fair to say that actual prices
on the commodities checked, con-
sidering the sales below ceiling
prices, averaged about S per cent
above ceiling prices"
Although substantial price viola
lions were found in some company
stores, mo evidence was found that
the company stores are worse in
their performance than other
stores" the report said. I'm fact
the level of compliance in most of
the company stores appears to be
above that maintained in the indie
pendent stores.
This conclusion must. of course
be qualified by the observation that
there was no time in this necessarily
rapid survey for checking such al
legged company store practices as de-
ductlon from miners pay checks of
more than list prices for commodi-
ties purchased"
Labor Policy Groups Statement.
The Labor Policy Committee of
OPA, composed of representatives
OF the American Federation of
Labor, the Congress of Industrial
Organizations and the Railroad
Brotherhoods, issued this statement:
Labor will do all in its power,
through its local, State and ma
/ tional organizations, to help effect
the new OPA price control program
in SO far as it represents a genuine
roll-back in the cost of living.
Labor was ready to share in the
enforcement of effective cost-of-
living sterilization a year ago; it is
ready to join in any bona fide effort
to achieve such sterilization now.
Labor organizations stand ready to
mobilize 100000 consumers, COM
prising union members and their
families, to help hold the line"
The OPA program, however, was
challenged as inadequate in a radio
address last night by George Meany
AF'L secretary treasurer.
Mr. Meany said Administrator
Brown has just announced with
manifest pride that on June l the
Z
rolled back 10 per cent"
Cut Declared Not Enough.
The labor official added:
| "A reduction of 10 per cent on
seven items, when an increase of
100 per cent and more has taken
place on dozens of items, is not
! enough.
Mr.. Meany referred to the i'm
pending rollback of 10 per cent on
retail prices of five items of meat
and coffee and butter, with the Re-
construction Finance Corp. granting
subsidies, if necessary, to professors
| to prevent them from being squeezed
between producers and consumers.
we ask that the retail price value
of every staple food-not Just a
handful of items, but every item that
ranks as necessity-be rolled back
to whatever the retail price was on
May Is, 1912" Mr.. Meany said. IF,
in the case of particular item, this
means rollback of Is per cent, then
that is just what we Want-a roll
back of Is per cent on that item"
Other Comment.
Other comments in a radio dis
cussion were.
j. K. Galbraith, deputy price ad-
ministrator: This program of real
price control assures real cost of iv-
ing control and, with rollback prices
where required, assures definite
reduction in the cost of living
index"
Albert S. Goss, master of the Ma
tlonal Grange: "A flexible ceiling
which recognizes cost fluctuations
would maintain production, but
what we are actually doing is cur
failing production in an effort to
protect and ever-increasing income.
This is the very essence of infla-
ton"
David R. Craig, president of the
American Retail Federation: IF you
think that retail profits could alb
serb this rollback, you are mistaken.
If you run retail prices back
wards on inventories which are pur-
chased at higher costs, your distrib-
utors will begin to drop out of the
picture"
Savings Program Urged.
The National Council of Farmer
Co-operatives, meanwhile. blamed
historically discredited price con-
troll methods for what it termed
our present demoralized food situa-
ton" and urged establishment of a
vigorous tax and savings program.
Calling for maximum production
OF essential farm products through
out the war, the council demanded
suspension of all planting and har-
vestlng restrictions on those crops.
OPA made today the effective date
OF COMMUNICATIVE price ceilings on
many commodities in 100 metropoli-
tan areas. While these brought no
changes in the legal cost of grocer
les. save in exceptional cases, they
provided housewives with informa-
ton to check ceiling prices.
The margin profit reductions an
nounced today cut the profit mar
gin on cabbages from IS to 40 per
cent for small stores, and from 81
to 40 per cent for chains and other
large volume stores. Markups on
onions were reduced from so to 40
per cent for small stores, raised from
80 to 40 per cent for intermediate
stores and left unchanged at IS per
| cent for largest stores
If a retailer buys at wholesale
something for a dollar, on which
OPA permits 40 per cent markup
the retailer thus calculates his legal
maximum is 81 40. The amount of
the markup supposedly takes care
both OF the retailers cost Of han
| ding and also profit.
On frozen poultry, markups were
cut from Is to 81 per cent for small
stores and from Is to 20 per cent
for large ones.
Specific cents-per-pound prices
were put on professor sales of salt
Goldfish at levels which OPA esti-
mated were as much as cents per
pound under existing prices.