The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-21

Take, for example, what Would
 happen if Administrator Brown or
 one of his new deputies with five | years business experience were to
 go before Congress and ask for au-
 thority to ration clothes.
 Before that could be done, the
 War Production Board would have
 had to certify to OPA the need for
 rationing clothes WIPE, 1t is assum-
 ed, would have done all the research l necessary to determine that 1t &C., tually was necessary to ration
 clothes but that wouldn't satisfy Congress. What OPA would be ask
 ing Congress for would in reality be
 an appropriation of money sufti- I cient to cover the cost of handling the rationing program. But before
 Congress would grant the money it
 would have to hold hearings. First in the House, then in the Senate. Passage would take months.
 CLOTHES RATION RUSH
 In the meantime, notice would have been served on the consuming
 public that clothes were going to be rationed. That would start rush on the clothing stores similar to the shoe buying stampede just
 before Stamp No. IT became invalid. The stores would be stripped clean, inventories entirely wiped out be- fore Congress could swing into ac- ton with an appropriation to cover the cost of rationing which would still have to be put into effect. The
 n,t result would be that there wouldn't be anything left to ration. The only alternatives to such a course of action woulC be to freeze all stocks in the stores, practically putting them out of business until Congress could make up its mind. Or, it might be possible to work out an intricate wardrobe declaration,
 having every guy list the suits and socks and shirts on his shelves and
 on himself every gal list all her pretties, including the date of pur- chase, SO that anyone with 8 new
 outfit acquired after first notice was given of intent to ration would not be permitted to buy anything more till Congress had acted. All of which would be complete illustration and confusion.
 Administrator Brown has made clear that no further rationing pro- grams are now under consideration, except for one more or less insignl- ficant item, which is generally be- lieved to be necessary rationing of milk in some few localities where distribution is difficult. Milk is one item on which it would do no harm
 to give advance notice of rationing because it soon spells and can't be hoarded.
 EIGHT NEW ITEMS
 When OPA experts appeared be- fore the House Appropriations sub- committee some weeks ago, they did disclose that they were studying eight additional rationing programs. Two of them, rationing of cooking and heating stoves and the ration ing of foods to institutions, not affecting home consumers. have al- ready been announced The other six items, not yet mentioned by name are just being surveyed so as to be prepared in case one of the other controlling government agencies should order OPA to swing into ac- ton with rationing program. It is also known that rationing books four and five have been in prepara- ton for some months, again as matter of preparedness.
 The general attitude of Adminis- trator Brown, however. is to relax rationing restrictions wherever pos sible. Brown says he spent weeks getting the War Shipping Adminis- tration to bring in more sugar for home canning. He will let up even further on gas rationing, just as soon as he can. He is a great little compromiser, Henry Clay could get away with compromises" says Brown, but I can't"