The union times., 1946-03-30
Three Threats Imperil Policy
 Of Holding Line
Administration And OPA Itself Back Down On
 Specific Issues

WASHINGTON (LPA) - Three major threats to hold the-llne price program were seen i'll the actions of Congress and the Administration this week.
 Two of these were indicaetd by the attitude of some members of Con- greSS toward extension of the OPA. In the hearings before the House Banking and Currency Committee, considerable sympathy was expressed by committee members for two infa- tionary proposals. One would provide, as an amendment to the price control act, that whenever supply and demand of any commodity approach bal ance', that controls be lifted. Labor officials point out that prohteering manufacturers and retailers can often hold prices high, even though sup plies are plentiful; i'll addition, they point to the case of citrus fruits where prices scared after controls were lifted, and OPA had to reim- pose price ceilings.
 Eliminates MAP. The second proposal, sponsored by the apparel industry, would eliminate the Maximum Average Price (called MAP for shorty regulation. This has been intended by OPA to get a req sonable amount of low-priced clothing on the market, and has been stubborn ly resisted and sabotaged openly by the garment trade. While union off, cials never thought this program was more than an expedient- and proposed much more fundamental controls over production of low-cost clothing they are insisting that the MAP reg ulatien remain.
 The third major threat was off, fcrcd by C2A itself, as it weakened its hOld-the-line program on sever al fronts, giving in to demands of the auto manufacturers, to the pe- trOleum industry, and to the textile industry. Price ceilings were raised for autos, crude and refined oil, and for certain scarce textile prod- ucts such as mems shirts.
 On the Congressional front, as hearings before the House Banking and Currency Committee ground on, reports were current that the Admin istration had set a deadline of May for passage of measure extending the Price Control Act for a year from June 30, without cripp1ing amend mentS. Unless speedy action is taken, price control supporters fear serious consequences as manufacturers slow down or stop production, taking a wait and see" attitude until they find out whether they will operate under price ceilings next year.
 PrOfits-Firsters at Work
 House committeeman were treated to another week of testimony by the profits-frst lobbyists, who appeared one after the other to demand lifting of all price control on their own prod uctS.
 Most OutspOken was National As sOciation of Manufacturers presi- dent, Robert R. WasOn, who fIatIy opposed any extension of the Price Control Act. Obviously trying to initiate former OPA administrator Chester BOwles, the NAM chiefs testimony was neatly lettered on Ills huge cardboard sheets, and an assist ''turned the pages' as Wason carried on his all-Out attack on keeping price controls.
 Other testimony heard by the House body was:
 The National Association of Real Estate Boards demanded 109o in- crease in rents for all landlords who could show figures to prove that their costs had risen 109o since rents were frozen. OPA's only recourse, if the NAREB plan were accepted, would be in the courts.
 Complete elimination of price control over lumber was asked by several witnesses representing the lumber dealers. One. went to the limit by calling the OPA methods in pricing lumber, ''dilatOry, un- realistic, inconsistent and almost cOnfiscatOry."
 In response to tremendous pressure from the oil industry, which had set up special lobbying committee to force higher prices, OPA announced plans to increase price ceilings on crude and refined oil. Dollars and cents figures were not made public, but it was said to range from 10c to 2lc barrel in various regions.