Evening star., 1947-09-19

six weeks. That practically wrecked
the possibility Of further scientific
control.
Co-Operated on New Law.
3. After the veto, I co-operated
with Senator Barkley in enacting
another OPA law, but because of the
six weeks hiatus we could not Sc
cure as complete control over
agricultural products as did the
first bill. The Presidents own
board then decontrolled grain and
dairy products. The President him.
self cancelled meat control. Insofar
as price of manufactured goods was
concerned, the President had full
power to continue control until
June 80, 1947, providing he re-
cognized increased costs. He vol
unfairly abandoned this control just
after the election. so that If manu-
facturers were making excessive
profits in 1916 and 1947, 1t was not
due to Congressional action. The
President was dominated by the
Bowles theory that if control could
not be rigid and unreasonable. II
should be completely abandoned.
I quite realize the reasons for the
Presidents action in removing all
meat control about the time of the
l946 election. He was advised by
every Democratic politician that con-
trolls affecting the supply of COM
mod1ties had become SO unpopular
that unless he removed them, there
would be an overwhelming Demo-
crat defeat in November. He did
not act soon enough. The people
had come to realize that his kind
OF Government control was resDon-
sible for the complete absence of
many essentials from the markets.
They wanted production and were
willing to pay for it.
I do not think myself that Gov
ernment price control in any gen.
eral form is possible in time of
peace. We saw how rapidly it broke
down because popular opinion was
against it. We saw how black mar
kets came into existence whenever
the prices fixed were out of touch
with the realities of the situation.
But I do not think that much more
gradual modification of control
would have delayed the spiral of
imitation and that prices would be
lower today.
Discuss Housing Costs.
4. What about the cost OF hous-
ing? When the President demand
ed unlimited emergency powers over
housing, and huge sums to be subsi-
died the production of scarce build
ing materials, the Republicans CO.
operated although the program was
opposed to their principles, because
they realized the tremendous emer-
gency in housing and wanted the
President to have every power. He
set up the Wyatt program and then
the President himself assumed the
responsibility for canceling the
whole program, firing Wyatt and
abandoning every effort to hold
down costs.
S. The Presidents policy regarding
wages brought about an increase in
prices. After the We day, the left
wing advisors of the administration
tried to boost the whole wage level
Of the country. Already high COM
pared to prices, on the theory that a
depression was bound to occur with
at least 100000 unemployed. In
spite of the fact that Secretary
Byrnes took the opposite position,
the President adopted the strange
theory that there could be pattern
of general wage increases through
out the United States without price
increases. 1t took about a week to
prove that this theory was wholly
wrong, when the administration it
self agreed to an increase in the
price of steel. Why Mr.. Snyder
agreed to price increase in excess
Of the wage increase I don't know,
but he had to agree to some increase
or go without enough steel.
We see today the apparent neces-
sity Of increasing railroad rates to
meet the increased cost of railroad
wages. OF course, wages are a part
of costs and will result in increased