Evening star., 1943-09-06
LWurControIs
| Begin to Irk
lCunudiuns
By B. T. RICHARDSON.

~ oA1nWA.-SfflCe TIE price cells
ing went on In Canada two years
ago, the cost of living has risen less
than 3 per cent; but the tide Of
public criticism and grumblirlR
against the controls was never
higher in this country. This is the
paradox of the home front situation
in Canada as the nation faces Its
fifth year Of war.
Alarmed at the fierce attacks be-
ginning to be leveled at the war;
time controls, in which the price
ceiling and wage control policy are
the central features, the govern
ment has undertaken fresh review
of the situation to determine wheth-
er some relief from the restrictions
can be provided the public.
"On every hand" said Donald
Gordon, chairman Of the Wartime
Prices and Trade Board, "I see sug.
gestions that a little compronise
here and a little give there ca1l-
not do much harm, and will provide
much-needed relief to hard-presseI
groups or individuals, or will solve
troublesome situations that arc
causing frictions.
No Compromise With Imitation.
There can be no compromia
with imitation. Every inch giyeI
is lost beyond recovery and ever,
move in the infiationary spiral feed
upon itself to engender still furthes
pressures." -
On the one hand, the Canadiaf,
price ceiling has won laurels froH,
sources such as the Brookings In
stitution, which recently reportef'
Canada has held down the cost,r
living to q wartime rise Of IT Pc
cent, while the, cost of living hs-
risen 26 per cent in the Unitet,
States and % per cent In Grea3
Britain.
On the other, Western Canada.
farm paper recently complained BIT
terly: 1.-THE controls now in fore
are opposed because they are bassi
cally unfair, because they fix am,
freeze the distribution of the ms
tional income on the basis prevail.
ing in 1941, and that basis Nh
flagrantly inequitable.' Similar out
spoken attacks on wage contya,
have become prevalent, and on
political party, the Co-operatiW
Commonwealth Federation, has
capitalized on labor discomfort te
win recent election campaigns.
Tired Of Restrictions.
In all this there is no yielding q.
Canadian determination to see the
war through. But the people o.
Canada are getting tired of the re-
strictions. AS the war news get,
better, as the Allies pile up VICTOR
after victory, as the end SEEM
nearer, warnings that hard fightinr
still lies ahead are useless. The
Canadian consumer wants more
gasoline, bigger rations of butte,
and meat, a chance to drive hi.
automobile farther, more beer anc:
/ IesS IVA rtiy,oa rod topa oW
The familiar pattern OF initiation.
held in check only by the controls.
Is present on all sides. Never was SO
much money In circulation, with The
national income at $1,000 ,000, ,00e.
double the prewar figure. Stocks n
civilian goods are disappearine
quickly, since manufacturing has
been concentrated in war goods fer
more than two years. The heayy
| pressure of blind economic forces
that cause imitation are now COM
bined, in Canada, with active dis
satisfaction. This is the shape of a
first-elass crisis on the home front.
The chief attack on the wartime
controls comes from the left in poll
tics. The underlying issue is wheth-
er the controls should be used to
promote the advantage of the far
mers, the wage-earners or other
groups. Taking note of this, Mr..
Gordon recently said: Wartime
control of prices and supply was not
set up for the purpose of establish
ing a perfect world. They are de-
signed to prevent further gross ifi.
equities from developing under tae
stress of war" .r1