Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-03-24

front. Clever stories poke fun
at the Administration, hoping
TO use the agency as an in
strument of defeating Presi-
dent Roosevelt in the coming
election.
The necessities of.life, name
t. food, shelter, clothing and
transportation, are distributed
as equitably as could be ex-
pected during wartime through
the Office of Price Admins
tration.
COST DECLINES
Actually, the cost of living
declined two-tenths Of one per-
cent in January of this year,
quite an accomplishment when
you consider that the big food
combines are constantly on the
lookout for an opportunity to
soak the poor.
While we are now in our
18th month of participation in
war that has been going on
for SIS months, we note that
according to government fig
ures the cost of living has
risen 25.9To, compared to
64.6%o during the first conflict.
OF course, we don't agree
with the percentages listed
above, but the ratio between
the two figures is probably
correct. So when we say that
the cost of living has risen
43%o since January, 1941, we
may also allow that the per-
centage of increase in living
costs during the first war was
probably above the 1909
mark.
Those who were around dur
ing the first world war recall
the huge increase in the price
of flour, butter, eggs, meat
and vegetables, among other
food items. In comparison, the
consumers have not suffered
nearly so badly.
But then, there's hitch 10
it. Congress recently decided
that persons on the OPA pay
roll should have previous busi-
ness experience, and this
means that people whose
prices are controlled by them
selves and their friends will
have something to say about
price control.
If OPA were perfect we
wouldn't have to worry much
about wage increases. But
OPA is not perfect, and those
who would amass greater
wealth than they now possess
seek either to destroy it or
control 1t so that the value of
price control to the consuming
public would be negligible.
RIDICULE
The working people do not
appreciate OPA, but the enc
mics of labor hate it to such
an extent that they are indulg-
ing in a series of attacks in
which ridicule is the prime
weapon.
When you pick up your
newspaper and read funny
stories about rationing board
chairmen running out of gas
or going barefooted for lack of
a shoe stamp, don't be too
quick TO accept the fake hui
NOR in these tall tales, because
this propaganda is really poi
son in disguise.
Black markets would be ten
times as vicious if it were not
for federal regulation and
heavy fines and penalties for
the guilty parties. If black
markets flouriShed in America
today as they do in Italy and
other countries of the world.
The OPA Labor Advisory
Committee has time and again
requested a labor coordinator
TO service the unions in this
area, but our suggestions have
not been accepted as yet. Ii
the working people were
wised up they would help the
OPA in many ways, and the
net result would be further
savings, better and less expen-
sive food items, less black mar
ket activity, and a nationwide
scale OF equitable distribution
of those things which are vital
10 the lives of millions of
Americans.
Politics has quite a bit to do
with the effectiveness of OPA.
Yet only 20To of the union
members in the Toledo area
are registered to vote. IT.
seventy thousand union mem
bers and their families are in
terested in saving hundreds Of
dollars in living costs, it is no
to them to get down to 217
Superior street and register to
vote in the coming elections.
This must be done before the
deadline of April 10th.