Evening star., 1945-08-19
Truman Acts 10 Hold
Living Costs in Line,
Speed Reconversion
Issues Executive Order
Chorting Return to
Peocetime Economy
Ry ]. A. FOX,

shift the Nation back to a peace
economy, and ordered all neces-
sary steps be taken ito assure
that the cost of living and the
general level of prices shall not
rise"
In an executive order prescribing
guiding policies" for reconversion,
the President directed wartime con-
trolls on prices, wages and production
be removed as soon as possible with
out endangering the stability of the
economy .,s- 2...s-- /. ~
He also gave the National War
Labor Board authority to deal with
labor troubles in the reconversion
era, specifying that disputes which
would interrupt work contributing
to the production of military sup
plies or interfere with effective
transition to peacetime economy
are disputes which interrupt work
contributing to the effective prose-
cution Of the war" and hence
amenable to handling under the law
Snyder Will Guide Plan.
Mr.. Truman invoked his powers
under the Constitution, the War
Mobilization and Reconversion Act,
the First and Second War Powers
Acts and the Sterilization Act, in
laying down the overall plan which
will be administered by John W.
Snyder, director of reconversion.
Calling for full employment and
maximum production, Mr.. Truman
set out three principal courses to be
followed by all agencies concerned
with the problems arising out of the
transition from war to peace" as
follows:
l. To assist in the maximum out
put of goods and services required
to meet domestic and foreign needs.
2. To continue the stabilizatio of
the economy as provided by the
Price Control and Sterilization Acts.
3. To move as rapidly as possible
without endangering the stability of
the economy toward the removal of
price, wage. production and other
controls and toward the restoration
OF collective bargaining and the free
market.
| Shall Support Prices.
During the transition to a free
economy" the order said, "the Sec
retary Of Agriculture, the Federal
Loan administrator and the Direc-
tor of Economic Stabilization shall
not only take all measures required
by law to support prices, but shall
take such further measures author
lied by law as may be necessary to
prevent any collapse of values or
encouragement of the full and ef-
tective use of productive resources. :"
The job of holding down living
costs was delegated to the Director
OF Economic Sterilization and the
Secretary of Agriculture.
They are authorized to adjust
price controls where necessary to
remove gross inequities or correct
Embellishments or inequities" which
would hinder effective transition"
to the peacetime economy.
Where price increases are decided
on. however, these officials are di-
rected to % $50 far as is reason
able, practicable and necessary - :
see that such price increases do not
cause price increases at later levels
OF production or distribution" and
90 improve and tighten price con-
trolls in those fields which are i'm
portant in relation to production
costs or the cost of living il which
IN their judgment the controls have
heretofore been insufnciently effec-
tive"
VIII Call Conference.
In ennunciating the Governments
labor policy, the Presidents order
followed along the lines OF his state
ment on this subject Friday, when
he called on labor and management
to renew the n0-strike no-lockout
pledge of wartime, and announced
that labor-management confer
ence would be called to effect an
agreement designed to minimize
labor troubles In the postwar era.
The policy frees wage increases
which do not involve price boosts
from Government control, but re-
Iquires the approval of the Director
% HECO1y1YEH CyO1T - -