Evening star., 1943-07-28
National Grange Hits
Demands for
.Ro||backs or Raises
By the Associated Press.

SkOnudCkS Or kdISeS
By the Associated Press.
Farm spokesmen took sharp
Tissue with labor leaders on home
I front problems today, the Ma
etional Grange appealing to the
administration to resist labor's
demands for either rollback of
food prices or general wage in
creaSeS.
Either or both steps, said the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the Grange.
one of the major national farm or
CARNATIONS. would deepen our i'm
pending food crisis and eventually
bring about uncontrolled imitation
and collapse
The Grange found fault with ar
guments of the American Fedora
ton of Labor and the Congress of
Industrial Organizations that food
costs had advanced out of line with
wages.
British Levels Cited.
I'VE are spending for food but 81
per cent of our income, believed to
oe the lowest percentage of any Ma
ton on earth the Grange commit
tee said. This is in vivid contrast
to the so per cent in England. whose
rollback subsidy program we are
asked to use as a model Yet even
at the low figure of 81 per cent, we
have raised our dietary standards
sharply"
President Roosevelt and his eco
nomlo high command are studying
ways Of Tightening Government
controls over food prices, and of re-
duclng them as near as possible to
the level of last September Is. Gov
ernment purchase at present prices
and resale for consumer distribution
at lower prices is one method under
consideration. Another is extension
Of the rollback subsidy program.
Food Curtailment Seen.
The policy demanded by labor.
said the Grange, would result in
further serious curtailment Of our
food supply which already has suf-
fered because of unSound. lmprac-
tical and restrictive regulations by
the Office of Price Administration.
The farm organization asserted
that the real problem confronting
the country was an excess of pur-
chasing power over consumer goods
and that this was increasing at the
rate Of SG000,000 900 a month. The
gap, the Grange said, must be re-
duced or closed by siphoning off sur
plus income through taxation and
systematic savings.
The Grange said food production.
rationing and price control should
Se placed under one responsible
head and that ratloning should be
used only to effect equitable distri-
button of goods produced in INSULT
cient quantities,
1t urged re-eSta bliShment of the
food stamp plan to aid consumers
whose incomes have not kept pace
with living costs.
WLB Denies Pay Raise.
Meanwhile. the War Labor Board.
denying a general wage boost of
cents an hour for $500 workers of
the BendiX Products Division of
BendiX Aviation Corp, South Bend,
IND warned yesterday that If the
clamor for an inflationary policy
prevails, it will not only be more
difficult to win the war but the
postwar problems will be made
.hreateningly difficult"
The board referred a demand for
Increased rates for Is Job classical
tiors back to the parties for rene
ootiationS and turned over to its
Chicago regional board a request for
an increase in the tool and die rates
In an opinion written by Vice
Chairman George w Taylor. the
board cautioned against the dis
9strous effects of imitation and COM
meuted that the immediate price
that must be paid" to prevent it is
beginning to seom very heavy in re-
lation 10 a vague danger which,
might strike in the future
Says Price Is Questioned.
Not Cniy labor groups but many
groups are questioned whether or
not the price is worth while, it d.
clarcd Each Of these groups tends
to believe that its members are
carrying such diSproportionately
heavy share OF that price rs to make
infationary moves the least worst !
course to follow
Emphasizing its determination to
do its part in stabilizing the ecoE-
Omy of a nation at war, the board
eXDrcesed belief the people would
take economic stabilizatiCn meas
1,reS in tleir stride" if they wcra
made fully aware of the urgency of
the problem
Cites Presidents Order.
The task OF creating this aware
ness lies ahead" it Observed
The board found that scent
hourly increase demanded by the
United Automobile Workers would
he incompatible" with President
Rooeevelts order to hold the line"
against initiation.
The union had Commanded the in
crease to restore historic rcla-
tionship" between rates at the Zen
dix plant and the Studebaker plant
in South Bend The claim OF his
toYic relationship" the board said,
was net supported by the facts
While generally below those at
Studcbaker. the beard said, the rates
paid at BcndiX were above the
sound and tested" going rates q
the South Bend area.