The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-07-18
Speed The Day


we're unconstitutional and that their activities
were contrary to the public interest During
the debate over continuance of the Office of
Price Administration which Congress finally
gave an extended lease on life for one year,
the Hon. E. H. Moore OF Oklahoma made a
stirring speech in the Senate in which he de-.
clared the OPA the chief offender among
all the bureaucratic agencies) is wrong in
principal contrary to our constitution and re-.
pugnant to American;sm.
His address offers complete confirmation of
the views the Star-News has voiced time and
again. We regret that space does not permit
use of Mr. Moore's entire text. A few excerpts
are the best we can do.
Says he The Constitution is the supreme
law of the land in war or in peace. The
guarantees of the Bill of Rights and other
provisions of the Constitution protecting es-
sential liberties are not suspended by the ex-
istence of a state of war. There are con-
stitutional boundaries which the Congress, the
executive or the judiciary may not trans
irrefutable, he continues:
"Our experiment in the field of government
al rationing and price control has failed to
accomplish even a small degree OF the bene-
fits hoped for by those who were persuaded
to depart from the Constitution because OF
their fear of the devastating effects Of infla-
ton and shortages Of the necessities of life
$L1 hoc no..
come monster of oppression, vehicle for
crime, the fundamentally of destruction the
breeder of greed and the perpetrator OF
shortages and hardships.'
Senator Moore, in further confirmation Of
the Star-News' attitude, puts the blame for
lOPA's mismanageme largely upon the type
of men chosen, obviously for political pur-
poses to direct its activities, saying:
"OPA has failed under the management OF
un-American-minde men who have no contl-
dence in the principles of the Constitution
on the integrity of the American way OF h1e
1t has failed under the management OF men
who live in a world of theories. and most OF
whom are totally minus the practical expert
ences that make for sound judgment"
But not all the blame, he holds. is due to
them Il want to emphasize he says that
OPA was doomed to failure under the most
capable and conservative personnel that couio
have been selected for it, because 1t was
wrong in principle contrary to our Constltu-
ton and the Bill of Rights, and repugnant
to Americanism' This is so true it justifies
repetition here. He goes on to say: mo sys-
tenn that usurps the liberties OF the people
can ever succeed in America, so long
as those instruments stand as the charter OF
our government"
Coming down to specific cases, he adds:
THE record of OPA is replete with instances
of destruction and planned shortages. The
meat shortage is directly in point. The
result is shortage in land of plenty.
shortages, created by the same method
Used to develop a meat shortage, are by no
means confined to foods. The shelves OF the
hardware merchant, the clothing store, the
drug store, the department store, and many
other types of merchants and shopkeepers.
are bare or filled with substitutes at tre-
mendously inflated prices for greatly inferior
quality"
In summation, ne says: 4oudy, we AAdVS
submitted ourselves to compIlsion. We have
saddled ourselves with ration boards and ra-
ton cards. elaborate and unintelligible regu-
lations over every trade business, and en-
terprise; black markets, gangsterism, and un-
told inconvenience to the public by expensive,
complicated and irresponsible administra-
ton
He voices the opinion, after this arraign-
ment, that IF price control were relaxed
through abolshing OPA, in order that our
surplus incomes might be matched with con-
sumner goods the productive power OF this
country is such that we would bring supply
and demand in balance in short ORDER
There is a growing impression in the coun-
try that even though OPA has the cash for
another year, public sentiment is so strong
against it, and the consolidation OF many Of
it's functions with the Department of Agrl'
culture under Secretary Anderson, who is well
aware of the situation, that it will be closed
out before many months pass.
Speed that day.
Hitler. Again