The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-01-08

the premium prices on pas! which show there is no eXcl Believe it or not, on an ordin- ary GOO 16 tire, the motoriSt will continue to pay an extra $l.30, de- spite of the fact profits of the tire industry :or the first six months of last year, before taxes were 784 per cent of the average profit for 1936-39. Byrnes, how ever. yielded to Army friends close to the tire industry and ok'd the continued price boost.
 The price premium was granted by OPA last April as a tempor- ary measure when tiremakers pleaded use of syntheticS and new types of core might mean higher production cost. The increase amounted to 8.9 per cent on regu- lar passenger tires, with a 121a per cent differential for rayon cord. The tire manufacturers then took their time about pre- pairing cost study, and it re3 quired pressure from industry, Army and WIPE Rubber Bureau to stop OPA from rolling back tire prices in October.
 A 60-day extension was grant, ed in October, whereupOn OPA started its own cost study. It found no justification whatsO- ever for ine maintenance of
 the premium prices. In 1943, it found the big four of tires FirestOne, Goodyear, Goodrich, and U. s. Rubber-shOwed a befOre-taxes profit of S288, ,105,- 941 or 799 per cent better than the average of only $36,057,- 372 from 1886 to 1889. Their profit for the first six months of 1944 was $149,262,27O, or 828 per cent better than the l936- 39 average.
 The entire industry was only slightly less well off. Total indus try profits averaged $42,408, 648 in the 1936-39 period, against $743, ,159,89 in 1943-743 per cent, and $166,2 SIS for the first six months of last yaer-784 per cent.
 OPA therefore. prepared to roll back tire prices last month, where upon Byrnes stepped in and or dered a four-mouth extension of premium prices. The extension, he said, was necessary to aid in ef- fective prosecution of the war;"
 Significantly, Byrnes' order fol- lowed the meeting of tire manu- lecturers with army supply chief tain It. Gen. Brehon SomerVell. The meeting was called to devise means of increasing the output Of military tires, but one of the three points agreed upon was price roll back on civilian tires be post poned for at least l20 days.
 It is no secret in the indus
 try that pressure has been ex- ercised on the War Department
 to aid in beating off the OPA
 ce-rOIIback. For weeks Ad-
 ministratOr Chester BOwIes and
 Deputy James F. BrOwnIee, for
 mer distilIcr, who have been the
 staunchest imitation fighters in
 Washington, refused to buckle
 under. Opposed to BrOwnIee in
 ByrneS' office was Maj. Gen.
 Lucius Clay, who until a couple of months ago was SOmervelrs
 right hand man.
 NOTE: Keep an eye on General Clay. He is the man who is really running things as far as the Byrnes office and WIPE are con cerned.
 ROOSEVELT IN AS
 Before Senator Harold Burton of Ohio, Republican, left for Africa as a member of the Mead (Truman) Committee, he called the new chairman, Senator Mead of New York, to remark he though the subcommittee should bet back to Washington in time for the inauguration.
 Why you don't need to worry
 about that, Harold" re piled
 Mead, If you get back by l94S
 you'll be in time to see Presi-
 dent Roosevelt inaugurated.
 MRS. BOLTON BOLTS
 First Republican caucus for the members of the new House of Representatives was one of the most dispirited in years. Atten- dance was fairy good. but there was very little enthusiasm.
 Minority leader Joe Martin didn't succeed in raising the esprit de corps tremendously. He gave a typical old-fashioned between the-halves football speech calling for support for the COP leader ship. There was nothing wrong with the speech--it just wasn't very interesting. Martin, though popular personally, has passed his peak. Some House Republicans are whispering laziness and care- lessness are robbing him of the effectiveness he used to have as a speaker. There was no opposition to Martins reelection except that Glare Hoffman of Michigan did