Evening star., 1943-04-09
Prices
Continued From First Page. }

Continued From First Page.)
that there was no meat to be hae
and shortly after there were scream.
ing headlines that there was 81
much meat it was spelling.
Mr.. Roosevelt said he believed
every one should avoid overplayin,
either scarcity or plenty becaus,
that is not good for public morale
We will have trouble, he said, if thu
! public stops buying all at one time
or tries al! to buy at the same time.
After declaring that probably dol.
lars and cents price ceilings woulc
be placed on foods, the President was
asked whether that would extend tc
things in department stores.
His reply was that the things de.
partment stores handle are not al
edibles.
Questioned as to whether the con-
troll woulo extend to clothing, he re-
marked there is no present need OF
clothing, then, amid a burst OF
laughter, amended his statement tc
say there was no need of putting a
ceiling on clothing
Prices to Be Displayed.
Under the plan the OPA is work
ing on, Mr.. Byrnes declared, it will
be possible for the purchaser to see
the ceiling price in the store on
the article he wants to buy, and
the prices will appear in advertis-
ing. The housewives, he said, will
have to do the police work
The press conference discussion
about ceilings on clothing prices
overlooked the fact that clothing is
one of the products designated by
OPA as cost of living" items and
placed under price control, usually
on some formula basis such as the
highest charge in March, 1912,
rather than a dollars -and-cents
basis.
OPA in the past has avoided gen.
eral definitions, but has specifically
designated hundreds of items as be-
ing examples of cost living items.
Other Items Listed.
Among those so designated are
cigarettes, packaged household
drugs, toiletries, infant food, ice
cream, clothing and shoes, meat and
nearly all other grocery store items,
and household electrical appliances.
Among the items which have not
been designated as cost of living
items but which are nevertheless
under price control are pianos,
washing machines and vacuum
cleaners.
Some common items in household
budgets are exempted by law from
price control. Doctor and dentist
bills are examples. The law also
exempts such charges as admis-
sions and advertising rates.
1t is up to Food Administrator
Chester C. Davis. Mr.. Byrnes said, to
determine whether all fresh vege-
tables affect the cost of living and
so will be brought under price CELL
ing. Some minor vegetable might be
omitted, he remarked.
1t is also for the food admins
traitor to determine whether grade
labelling of canned goods will be
involved, based on a decision
whether this would affect prices to
consumers.
Mr.. Byrnes said the food prices
would be applied at the retail level
rather than at the farm, unless some
law requiring fair margins makes it
necessary to fix prices back of the
retail level.
ITO what extent do you antici-
pate being able to roll back prices?'
Mr.. Byrnes was asked.
He said Price Administrator Brown
hopes it could be done in a number
of cases, but that he (Mr. Byrnes)
could not say just how extensive
this might be.
New VINO Powers.
When a reporter inquired whether
the sweeping presidential order
meant that workers were more OF
less frozen to their jobs in essential
industries, Mr.. Byrnes responded
that the War ManpoWer Commits
zion section of the presidential order
was designed to make clear that
the VINO chairman has power to
do what he has attempted to do to
some degree. The VINO chairman
has enlarged powers under the
order, Mr.. Byrnes said.
Mr.. Byrnes mentioned farm labor
at one point, saying he had asked
Mr. Davis to review the wage struc-
ture, determine whether 1t should be
changed and see if a ceiling was
necessary.
Sweeping Order.
In last nights sweeping executive
order. Mr.. Roosevelt froze wages at
the little STEEL formula level, ex-
cept where increases are clearly
necessary to correct substandards OF
living: directed new commodity
price controls that ban advances un-
less 'imperatively required by law,
and prohibited job-shifting solely
to obtain higher wages.
The order also directs all Fed
eral, State and local regulatory
bodies passing on the rates of utili-
ties and carriers to take cognizance
of the new anti-inflation policy sc
that rate increases will be disap-
proved and rate reductions effected
In conformity with its terms.
Repercussions Waited.
Immediate repercussions were ex.
pected both on the industrial anc
agricultural fronts.
The order seemed certain to brinf
a showdown between the admins
| tration and John L. Lewis, who l