Evening star., 1945-06-25
Food Czur' at Lost

the House was in a mood of des-
peratiop last Saturday when it ex-
tended for one year the life of a
badly mauled Office of Price Ad-
ministration. While not adopting
the proposals submitted a few days
ago by Former President Herbert
Hoover, the legislators evidently
shared his belief that meat con-
trolls had broken down" and that
there was need for an "administra-
tive revolution" in control agencies.
In any event, and despite admins
tration opposition, when the ballot
ing was over Representative Clinton
Anderson of New Mexico, who be-
comes Secretary of Agriculture on
July l, had been clothed with powers
which, to all intents and purposes,
will make him a food car"
The adopted amendment wisely
leaves enforcement machinery in
OPA, but the Secretary of Agricul-
ture is given the power to veto all
existing regulations, including exec
utive orders, and no agency of the
Government may issue any new
regulation affecting food without
securing his written approval. Pre-
sumably this was not intended to
apply to possible future executive
orders, but it is clear enough that
what the House has done is to drop
the whole policy problem of supply
and distribution of food into the lap
of the incoming Secretary of Agri-
culture. This was conceded by both
the sponsor of the provision, Repub-
lican Representative Andersen of
Minnesota, who said that his
amendment places overall food au-
thority in the hands of one man in
stead of leaving it scattered through
twenty-three agencies, and by Rep
resentative Michener, Republican, of
Michigan, who said that "the House
knows Clinton Anderson and is will
ing to place the responsibility on
him"
The House also overrode admins
tration leaders to adopt an amend
ment sponsored by Representative
Hsrksen, Republican, of Illinois,
which would give persons affected by
price regulations the right of direct
appeal to the Federal courts. Under
existing law these complaints are
heard in a special tribunal, and !
there has been great deal of dis
satisfaction with the procedure. The
Dirksen amendment, rejected in
previous years, has been opposed on
the ground that it would subject
OPA to a crippling volume of litiga-
ton, and there is reason to believe
that this probably is the case.
1t is ironical that the House
should have voted to strip OPA of
much of its authority just as Ad-
ninistrator Chester Bowles, com
menting on the announcement that
the Army would take less beef dur
ing the summer months, was assert
ing with elation that his new dis
tribution program "has. started to
work" The main objective of this
program was to channel more meat
into Federally inspected slaughter
but the House, with admin
approval, also .nullifled that
project in Saturdays voting.
The measure adopted by the
House now goes to conference with
The Senate bill, which carries an
cost-of -production-plus-
a-proflt provision for agricultural
products. What will finally emerge
is any ones guess so far as details
are. concerned, but there is small
chance that OPA will be left with
real authority over food. All things
considered, that agency has done a
good job in its primary function of
holding down the cost of living. For
one reason or another, however,
there has been a failure to assure
an adequate supply or an equitable
distribution of food, and for that
failure, justly or otherwise, OPA is
being made to suffer the conse-
ouences.
Thu Cov.o& Ex~-1I@