Evening star., 1943-08-17

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tion of our civilian life is as neces-
sary in period of total war as mill
tary discipline is on the battlefield.
Without rationing and price con-
troll there would be food famine
in thousands of American homes.
Those with the most money and
most influence at the corner grocery
store would get more than they are
entitled to have in wartime and
would get 1t at the expense of their
neighbors with less money or less
influence.
To those who demand higher
wages it is fair to recall that during
the last war, from April, 1917, to
November. 1918, a period of 18
months. the cost of living rose 29.4
per cent. In the first 10 months
of our active participation in this
war, from December, 1941, to June,
1943, the cost of living increased
only 1873. During approximately the
same period the weekly wages of
factory workers as whole went up
"a per cent. This does not mean
hourly wages. 1t means the money
man takes home each week.
To those who demand higher
prices for farm products, 1t is fair to
recall that the net income of farm
ers as whole in 1912 was 507 per
cent higher than it was in 194l. 1t
is estimated that net farm income
in 1943 will be 24.8 per cent higher
than it was in 1912 when it was
higher than ever before in history.
To those who want higher prices
for their manufactured products it
Is fair to recall that the net profits
of corporations after taxes in 1912
were AZ per cent higher than they
were in l94l, and 83.2 per cent
higher than they were in the pre-
war year of 1899. 1t Is estimated
that corporation profits after taxes
in 1943 are running 1872 per cent
above 1912
We should remember that our
boys are fighting, not to increase the
income of any one of us, but to safe
guard the liberties of all of us.
We cannot abandon the hold the
line order on the price front without
abandoning 1t on the wage front.
And II we abandon 1t on both fronts,
the 20 millions or more Of our peo-
pie receiving low wages, small SAL
aries and small fixed incomes which
have not been increased materially
since the war started. will be ground
below the level of fair subsistence.
Apart from those who before the
war were unemployed or were re-
ceiving substandard pay, no man
or woman who is as we'll off as ne
was before the war started, has a
right to complain that he Is not
fairly treated unless he has first
done his part to see that those who
are less fortunate than he are justly
treated.
No Room in Total War
For Pressure Politics.
He should think first of the SOL
dier's wife, the soldiers mother, the
preacher. the teacher, the small
tradesman, the State, county and
city employees, the old folk living
on small pensions whose purchasing
power has gone down as the cost of
living has gone up. There is no
room In total war for the politics
tof~preSsure groups.
The first interest of every good
citizen should be to see that there
Is no further rise In the cost of
living. II, in some cases, increased
production costs make further price
adjustments unavoidable in order
to obtain necessary war production,
then we must, by more rigid price
control, or subsidy of other items.
see that there Is no rise in the cost
Of living.
It does not make sense to say that
we can use subsidies 10 prevent
numerous specific food prices ficm
rising but that we cannot use sub
sides to reduce a limited number
of key items in the family food
basket to offset rises permitted in
other food items.
Congress by the Act of October 2,
1912, declared that prices and wages
should be stabilized so far as prac-
ticable at the level of September Is,
1912.
The cost of living rose per cent
between September, 1912, and May,
1943. The rise was halted in June
and the figures for July indicate
drop of nearly per cent. The June
and July figures do not fully re-
fleet the reduction in the cost Of
living which has been brought
about by the recent Government
action reducing ceiling prices on
meat and butter by 10 per cent, on
fresh fish by 20 per cent and on
cabbage and lettuce by 50 and 25
per cent, respectively II these re-
ductions were fully reflected they
would show that the cosJ of living
today is only Az per cent above the
September, 1912, level.
Reduction in Cost
OF Necessities Pledged.
At a recent meeting of the War
Mobilization Committee, the Presi-
dent requested the Director of Eco
nomic Sterilization to work out, in
cooperation with the Food Admin
istrator, the Price Administrator
and the Reconstruction Finance
Corp, food price program with a
view to stabilizing the cost of living
as nearly as practicable at the level
fixed by Congress. Definite progress
Is being made. There will be a sub
stantial reduction in the cost of
actual necessities-not of fancied
wants.
But wages as we'll as prices must
be held. The fight against imitation
can be won If we have the will to
win it. 1t cannot be won if the will
for higher wages and higher prices
is stronger than the will to keep
down the cost of living.
Constructive criticism is helpful
but 1t is not helpful to disparage
our national effort. It has repeat
edly been charged by persons of
recognized prominence that we have
fond Shnrtoo oy1 fbat <.,,a