Evening star., 1943-08-04
Obey Ro||backs,
LaskeyUrges
Restdurdteurs
OPA Official Calls
On Eating Places to
Avoid Black Market

An appeal by John L. Laskey
chief counsel of the District OPA
to Washington restaurant owner!
urging them not to buy from blacl
market operators, elected applause
at meeting of more than 400 fooc
establishment projectors held at the
United States Chamber of Com
merce last night.
Mr.. Laskey's admonition, Don't
buy anything you can't get listed or
an invoice" was coupled with a
warning that OPA would help hon.
est men in their problems and at
the same time prosecute "chiselers.'
I'VE desire your assistance in COM
plying with the food rollback regu-
lation,' Mr. Laskey said. Il believe
the overwhelming majority of the
food operators are willing to abide
by the law We believe you are en-
titled to fair profit. 1t is our duty
to enforce the laws for the protec-
ton of the great majority We de-
pend on the honest merchants to
help us keep in line those who would
preflt unduly by wartime conditions.
Price Panels to Operate.
Congress has given you a license
which you can't frame, but which
can be revoked You are not con-
cerned with getting new business.
Most of you have more business
than you can handle. Our job is not
to threaten or bully, but to help you
with your problems"
1t was brought out that price
panels will be invoked to check eat
ing places. A check by these volun-
teer groups of 1000 grocery stores
revealed that, concerning IL popu-
lar food items, only 3S per cent of
the stores had correct prices posted,
and only 46 per cent were charging
correct prices.
The OPA price rollback will be
governed by prices charged by res
taurants and hotels during the
period April 4-10, inclusive. All op-
orators have been required to submit
menus to OPA listing their prices
as OF that period.
Mr.. Laskey, remarking that many
people are likening OPA price roll
back regulations to the Eighteenth
Amendment, emphasizing that the
two are dissimilar. Prohibition, he
said, was an attempt to impose the
will Of minority on the majority.
1t is necessary to control prices, he
emphasized, in order to control in
flation.
Says Rollbacks Workable
when restaurant prices go up,
workers feel that wages should go
up, and that brings about imitation, 4"
he said.
Mr.. Laskey, principal speaker in
the absence of Robert Thompson,
District OPA director, who was out
of the city, cited the black market
IN potatoes as illustrating the ne
cessity for price control.
He warned that merchants will
fully violating the OPA regulations
can be put out of~business for one
year. tt was his belief that the
regulations for price rollbacks are
workable, and that cooperation will
be Forthcoming from restaurant
owners.
An open forum, in which ques-
tions were submitted in writing and
answered by Mr.. Laskey and staff
assistants, was a feature of the
meeting. The presiding officer was
S. Grady Putnam of the S. g. w.
Cafeteria.
1t was stressed that copies of the
new regulations regarding price roll
backs to the April 4-10 levels have
been sent to food proprietors, and
that those who do not clearly un-
derstand the rules should get in
touch with OPA officials without
delay.