Evening star., 1944-06-09
bowIes AssaiIs
Aide for Views
On Cotton Plan
OPA Chief Condemns,
7. |. Wilson Defends
Bonkheod Amendment
By the Associated prea..

BY the Associated Press. !.
The proposal Of cotton bloc
Senators to tack a new textile
price formula on the OPA ex-
tension bill produced a sharp
disagreement today within the
OfIlce of Price Administration
itself.
AS Price Administrator Chester
Bowles asserted the Bankhead cot
ton amendment was best calculated
to shatter the entire structure OF
stabilzation," Yorke L. Wilson.
OPA's chief accountant in the textile
section, said in a letter to Senator
Taft, Republican, of Ohio that the
amendment, which would adjust
textile prices to reflect raw cotton
parity to farmers, Is not infiationary.
If properly administered, the
amendment will not increase mill
profits one cent" Mr.. Wilson as,
serted, lining up with the Southern
Senators.
Bowles Attacks Amendments.
Mr.. Bowles, who has said the
amendment would bring price in
creases of from $3.50 000, 900 to $780,
100000 annually, wrote Senator En-
lender, Democrat, of Louisiana that
Mr.. Wilson had neither the "au-
thority nor any qualification to
speak for OPA on any policy ques-
ton"
At the same time, Mr.. Bowles
said in a statement:
The plain fact is that some
amendments already accepted in
the Senate and others being seri-
ouSly considered In both houses
would wreck the present price,
control program beyond recognition
and create higher prices for every
family In this. country"
"A frank and open attack on prfa
control would shock the country"
Mr.. BoWles' said. "No one has pro-
posed or would dare to propose
wrecking the stabilization program.
But today price control is being
killed with kind words.
Calls Bankhead Plan Infiatienarv.
The Bankhead amendment alone
would add more than $3.50, 900 900 to
the prices our people now pay for
Clothing each year. There Is no as
surance that it would help the eot-
ton farmer.
1t would not put low-priced cot.
ton goods back on the shelves. -.
The one sure beneficiary is the tar
tile industry, already nine times Al
pFofitable as In peacetime.o
he said other amendments. such
as tne So-called Wherry and Cham
dler amendments, urged in the
name OF justice to the businessman.
would actually result in its denial
would hamstring the admin-
istrator's enforcement" and causa
black market operators to rejoice.
II the present act is renewed
without weakening amendments,
he added, I'VE in the oPA can con-
tlnue to protect the American peo-
pie, the American businessman and
the American taxpayer against the
need for paying higher wartime
prices and the eventual imitation,
that will follow"
Wiley Offers a Proposal.
meanwhile, in a move to help
millions of white-collar workers.
Senator Wiley, Republican, of Wis
consin offered an amendment to the
price control bill to permit an en-
ployer and employe to agree on
wage rates up to $3.50 a week
without requiring Government ap.
proval.
II an employe receives oyertims
compensation, that would be in
cluded in computing the total
weekly wage.
Senator Wiley said it would af.
feet nearly 10000, 900 workers whose
earnings have not kept pace with
wartime levels. AS Illustrations, he
mentioned teachers, city employees
and clerks in private establish.
ments. Under existing requirements.
there are thousands of cases await
ing War Labor Board action. the
Senator said. He denied the amend.
ment would be infiationary.
His amendment will not be acted
on until after the Senate sdisposes
OF the controversial cotton textiie
amendments.
Earlier. Senator Eastland,. Demo-.
crat,. OF. Mississippi said in the Sen-
ate that Mr.. Bowles had been
given "bad- advice" by aides who
know nothing about the cotton busi-
ness" and that the amendment IL
properly administered, could save
the people of the country half bill
lion dollars annually.
Senator Eastland argued that
clothing prices had been boosted.
adding $500, 100000 a year to con-
sumer costs, and that OPA could
slash some of these ceilings to moro
than offset the increases in low
priced cotton goods contemplated by
the Bankhead amendment.
Conuress Nov Limit