Evening star., 1944-06-30
Price Control
Continued From First Page.)

CIeASe III teAtlle OF ClOtnlnS COBtS
to consumers.
Rent Ceiling Adjustments.
Other revisions call for rent CELL
ing adjustments to Offset substan-
TALLY increased operating costs or
taxes and abolition Of OPA's "high-
est price line" limitation rs 1t now
applies to retail stores.
: Under the highest price line limi-
tation, OPA has sought to discour-
age. shifts by business from low
priced merchandise to higher price
lines. The OPA can continue to en-
force the policy as to manufacturers
and wholesale distributors.
While Congress reduced penalties
against non-willful price law vio-
lators. OPA's enforcement powers
were broadened to permit the agency
to purchase evidence needed in
prosecutions, and also to initiate
suits for damages against price law
violators, II consumers fail to act.
Other Changes Made.
The legislation makes these other
changes in price control: %
Directs the OPA to adjust rent
ceilings in individual cases where
they Are shown to be out of line With
prevailing rent levels and to abolish
contrplx 81 communities where 1t ds
established that this step would not
result in abnormal" rent increases.
Bans the broadening of the pres
ent Il, SOC, ,00o, 900 . year food subsidy
program, and terminates subsidies
after Jtine 20, 1945, unless Congress
appropeiates directly for their con-
tinuarne. : @.
Forbids the establishment Of any
ceiling price on fishery products at
less than the average OF such prices
for 1912. It also directs adjustment
Of fresh fruit and vegetable prices
to take into account unusual cror
losses.
Board Of Review.
Sets up q Board of Review, to be
composed Of OPA personnel, to heal
evidence in protests against OPA
regulations, and to advise the price
administrator as to action on pro.
tests. The amendment also permit.
protests to be flled at any time. but
final authority as to their validity
is left with the present emergency
court OF appeals. -~ ... -.
Allows courts to stay Judgment.
In enforcement proceedings to per.
NIT defendants to challenge the va.
lidity Of the regulations involved.
Increases loan rate on cotton from
80 to 92h per cent Of parity.
Directs the President to take "al
lawful action" through any Fedora
agency, to maintain other basic ane
essential nonbasic agricultural prod.
ucts at the parity price level.
Text Of Statement.
The text of President Roosevelt's
statement follows:
by the Sterilization Extension
Act which have just signed, the
Congress renews the general author
ity vested in the executive agencies
by the Emergency Price Control and
Sabilization Acts to hold the line
against imitation.
fore more than two years, under
the Emergency Price Control and
Sterilization Acts, we have been
fighting imitation and fighting II
successfully. Although the cost OF
living rose substantially in the early
years OF the war, for a whole year
the cost OF living has been held with
out change. This, of course, was pos
sible only with the aid of the limited
subsidies authorized by the Congress
While clothing prices have risen dur
ing the past year, they have not
risen enough to wipe out the reduc-
ton in retail prices Of necessary
food items. Meantime rents have
been firmly held.
The Sterilization Extension Act