Evening star., 1943-06-22

ding supply. Neither rationing nor
price control can operate in the
absence of clear-c control of dis
tribution and ALLEGATION of basic
food and clothing supplies"
The report urged establishment
of "a genuine requirements commit
tee to scrutinize carefully all mill
tary, lease-lend and civilian require
ments, inquiring not only into the
possibilities Of fulfillment, but also
into their relation to strategy and
fundamental plan."
Arguing against compulsory con-
troll of manpower, the committee
said that incentive wage plans, ad-
ministered jointly by management
and labor, offer "a proven way OF in
creasing production"
Hope OWN Will Be Strong.
Originally formed as subcom-
mittee of the Senate Military Affairs
Committee to hear testimony on a
bill proposing to set up a war
mobilization agency by congress
sional action, the group expressed
the hope that the OWN established
by President Roosevelt's executive
order would not display the weak
ness Of its predecessors, but would
take on the job of total mobiliza-
tion of our production, resources and
men,"
The committee complained that
the most widely felt failure on the
home front has been the failure to
stabilize the domestic economy"
I'VE are plagued by recurring
strikes and by administrative failure
to attack the root causes of unrest" :"
the report continued. Gasoline
shortages in critical areas due to
distribution problems disrupt trans
portation of war workers, produc-
ton of essential crops, movement of
war goods-and governmental agen-
cies offer only the prospect of great
er shortages. High Office of Price
Administration officers resign; 9TH
ers, through lack of centralized di-
rection and firm policy, are permit
ted to engage in a bitter public
struggle,
Food production goals are re-
peatedly cut back far below require
ments-and the Food Administrator
offers us only further cutbacks while
insufficient effort is made to pro-
mote critical items Price control and
equitable distribution are in jeop-
ardy as essential food supplies are
being engulfed by black markets,
while competing agencies, without
constructive programs, wrangle for
control.
Resumption of civilian produc-
ton has become major preoccupa- =
ton. while cutbacks in military pro-
duction programs and bad distribu-
tion OF contracts threaten shutdown
OF plants in many industrial areas.
The very agencies needed to control
and direct the war economy are dis
lntegrating. Cleavages are growing
among the major groups of the
Nation when national unity is so
essential to speedy victory"
Concerning subsidies, the commit
tee said that within the last four
weeks 'the country has been beset
by a dozen different points of views
on subsidies from Government
Spokesman
1t said that aides of Price Ad-
ministrator Brown had been quoted
as opposing subsidies while recently
the price administrator himself has
firmly supported their use" The re-
port said that guarded approval of
subsidies was uttered by the food
administrator (CheSter C. Davis one
week and followed, a week later, by
disavowal of their merit"
Clearly" the report said, at was
and is the responsibility of the Office
Of Economic Sterilization to recon-
cile the divergent viewpoints of the
various agencies. But it is even
more the task o1 the Office Of
Economic Stabiliza ton to integrate
policy and to enunciate this policy
To the apepcv heads apd tho y,,Ihlir -