Imperial Valley press., 1944-02-18
Talk
-by-
Peter Edison

creaseS, while there were only six
orders resulting in lowered prices.
This trend can be observed dur
ing the whole of the past three
months. There were "a price in
crease orders in December as
against Is price decreases. There
were 80 price increaees granted in
November. as against ii price de-
creases. Every day, in other words,
there is an average Of one au-
5thorization TO raise prices, while
the price decrease orders are
coming through at the rate of only
,one every three days.
: Not all these price increase orders
have direct effect on the things
the average consumer buys from
retail stores, dealers and service
establishments. Many are on
manufacturers items, but wherever
these things enter into war pro-
duction, the increased costs to the
government are rcid for by taxes,
so the costs 90 Tickle down 10 the
Leverage citizen in tie long run.
LABOR COSTS INCREASES
y Taking the authorized January
price changes as typical they check
off aS 13 increases granted on
lumber and forest products, three
On ccal and coal products, three on
foods, six on consumers goods, and
I six on manufactured goods. On the
six price decreases ordered In
fJanusry, four were on foodS.
T The one important factor that
stands out as the reason for over
,eaan :, of the authorized price in
Ireascs is that they were made
necessary by increased labor costs.
Take the three authorized in
f'creases in coal prices. First get the
background. The coal strikes OF
last year lost some production. The
Harold Ickes-John L, Lewis wage
kegreement that settled the strike
t,gave the miners increased pay.
Coal Administrator Ickes had to
lask the miners to work a seventh
Fday every Week-at double time
rates. mind you-to increase pro-
duction. That meant, first. that
anthracite prices had to be ad-
yanced as cents ton tc the pro-
ducer; second, that bituminous coal
price ceilings had to be advanced y
cents ton in some coal producing
areas. and third, that coke pro-
duced in the east had to be ad-
vanced so cents ton to allow 1ol
the increase in the price CT coal
Thus does the daisy chain OF spiral
ing prices hog-tic stabilization.
LUMBERMEN SWITCH
The labor background responsible
for the authorized increases II
prices on forest products is a LITTLE
different. In the lumber industry
there has been a tremendou'
migration of workers to the better
paving Jobs in shipyards and othe
war industries in the south ant
west. This has seriously aggravated
the increased war demands 10
wood. The problem was therefor
: one of keeping the experienced
lumbermen on their jobs, and tn
cnly way it has been possible to IL
this has been to pay higher wage
in the woods, at the saWmills ant
lumber yards.
Food increases authorized Wer
regional prices on bananas. tapioc
and live poultry going into the Ne'
York area - all of which Wer
nccessitated by increased costs o
transportation. The four food pric
decreases OPA was able to put int
} effect were on pork tongues, Who'll
fresh cocoanuts, Atlantic coas
smeIts and increased ration allow
ances for school lunch programs.
Manufacturers items which Wer
allowed tc rise in price were acct
add. chestnut extract for leathe
tanning, soybean OIL freight ca
castings, and crude oil at the we
d! in three fields.
! The price Of hooked rugs wa
lowered by reducing the ceilin
4 price on rayon hose cuttings,
=, anybody cares.