The union times. (New Haven, Conn.) 1941-1948, 1943-12-04
On TheSCene
In
Washington
By Virginia Gardner

WASHINCTON-By the time the
big ringside fight on subsidies is in
its ninth round we can expect the
boys in Congress fighting for sub
sides to be punchdrunk. It's just
then, however, that labor-consumer
forces have to watch out for sneak
attack on OPA.
Ground is being laid for it in re-
vival of the move to turn over oil
and coal prices to Sec. of Interior
Harold Ickes. The necessary 218
names were affixed to petition to
force out of committee HR 2887
which would take control of oil and
coal prices from OPA, which re-
fused to allow an oil price boost re-
commended by Ickes.
Sponsor of the bill is the reac-
tionary Wesley E. Disney, Demo-
crat, of Tulsa, Okla, spokesman
for the big oil interest. 1t was Dis
ney who authored the bill repeating
the Presidents $25, 200 salary cell
ing. 1t was Disney, a member of
the ways and means committee,
who came out last summer in favor
of a sales tax.
1t is possible that the Republicans
will retreat from their attack on sub
sides if the administration continues
its strong fight in their behalf, and
organized labor's spade work on the
Hill bears fruit in the senate in in
creased opposition to the about at
tack on price conrtol
Then it is that Republican back
ing for the various moves to cut up
OPA will be intensified. The Re-
publicans thus could avoid full re-
sponsibility for raising prices and
causing initiation, and gain the
same thing.
Beaten last spring, these moves to
cut the heart out of OPA would
stand better chance of winning now
particularly if they were rushed
through while the subsidy fight is
still inconclusive.
Demands are being heard again for
the banking and currency committee
headed by the late foe of subsidies,
Henry B. Steagal1, to act on HR
2889, the bill to aurn over all food
pricing to the War Food Admins
traitor and all rent control to Natl.
Housing Agency.
The bill originated when Ches-
ter Davis headed VIA. After he
was bounced by Pres. Roosevelt,
sponsors of the bill cooled toward
it. But by this time Marvin Jones
has proved himself fit to wear the
farm bloc toga of Davis, and so the
cry for a Stood czar'' is being
sounded again.
With oil and coal and food and
rent gone, there wouldn't be much
left of OPA except clothing. And,
with prices turned over to admins
tration people in charge of produc-
ton, and susceptible to industry
groups pressure, there soon wouldn't
be much left of price control.
All the legislation that has ham,
strung and crippled OPA to date
has been done not through frontal
attacks but sneak attacks. Thus, no
move was made to cut off all APP
preparations, but by cutting out
$50 million from OPA funds en-
fOrcement was made ineffective and
by demanding all professors in pol
icy making jobs be replaced by in
dustry people, Congress laid trap,
and Chester BOwles walked into it.
OPA Administrator BOwles and his
assistant, James F. Brownlee, are
trying to hold the line, but the in
dustry people he has appointed are
very possibly going to prevent that,
even if we get subsidies-unless
they're not hauled up before the
public eye.
There are certain indications of this
already-the boys overalls order, for
example. Does OPA mean business !?