Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-06-16

Edward Duck teemen had
Job for the workers.
| suspect that this individ-
ual is unaware that it would
require a change in orders
coming from Washington to
Toledo, for the local OPA to
allow additional mileage for
attendance at regular mem
bership meetings, stewards
included.
1t is quite possible that
what he was most interested
in was taking full advantage
of the opportunity of display
ing his oratorical ability,
what with the coming UAW
convention delegate election
fast approaching, considering
that he is a most seasoned
politician.
However, it might be well
to bring out bit of factual
data right here and now, since
the subject of OPA has been
brought up, and the source of
this information is none other
than Chester Bowles, head
man of the national OPA.
LOOK BACK!
There was no OPA for
Republicans to snipe at dur
ing the first world war. Con-
sequently, when initiation end
ed the dollar was worth but
forty cents. Wholesale prices
had risen 1897 and one-third
of this increase occurred after
the signing of the Armistice.
Bread went from &c to 12c a
loaf. Eggs cost 92c a dozen,
potatoes were multiplied in
cost by four times the orig
inal price. Bituminous coal
rose from $546 to S12.53.
Butter and sliced ham more
than doubled in cost.
An annual income of $4,000
was worth $3.50 after infla-
ton
Within five years after the
inflationary period LOG, 900
firms went bankrupt, mostly
small businesses. Between 1919
and 1921 five and one-half
million people were added to
the rolls of the unemployed.
Factory payrolls shrank 44%,
and weekly take-home pay
went from S27,50 to only
S20.70 for those who were
still working.
BUT NOW
Within 25 days after the
Japs had cut off 90%o of our
rubber supply in the second
world war 5000 local ration
ing boards were set up and
began to ration tires for thirty
million passenger cars, nu-
merous trucks and tranSporta-
ton vehicles.
On April %, 1912, prices on
eight million items were
frozen as of the highest levels
of the previous month. Be-
tween June and November
more than nine million land
lords registered their proper
ty, and 287 offices were open
ed, to be manned by 5000
employees trained In rent con-
troll procedure.
Everything from bottled
beer to used automobiles has
been tagge d with ceiling
prices, SO that runaway infla-
tion and selfish greed do not
run rampant. II was seen that
three-fifths of the rise in liv-
ing costs was the results of a
$50 increase in fresh fruit
and vegetable prices. Arrange
mentS were made to cover
these items, so for the first
time since November Of 1910
a decrease in prices was reg
istered.
OPA has been under ter
rifle pressure for sixteen hec-
tic months, In spite of the op-
position of the farm bloc, the
rental groups, the business
groups, and the congressional
stooges, Chester Bowles agen-
cy has operated with insult
ficient funds and still has
managed to keep prices from
approaching the level of
World War 1.
Food items such as bread,
eggs, coffee, sugar, and lard,
whose cost formerly totaled
S4. So now are purchased for
S1.82, in comparing prices of
World War | and ii. Remem-
Der that the grocery combines
are not voluntarily holding
down prices.
OUR OWN FAULT
If price ceilings have been
violated 1t is your fault and
mine. If black markets were
allowed to operate, it is like
wise ourselves who are to
blame for patronizing them or
not reporting the chiselerS.
OPA needs support from us.
Those who offer no support
whatsoever are usually the
most critical. It's easy to
criticize, but I wonder how
well some of the critics would
handle OPA's task If it was
their assignment instead of
someone's else!