The Wilmington morning star., 1947-01-20
Douetailed Picture

WAoHlNGION, Jan. 19. -(H9-
President Truman hopes 10 dove.
tail the work of all government
agencies which keep figures to
give the nation a better picture Of
wage-price-profit relationships, i
was learned today.
The President announced his in.
tentlon in a letter to Harvey w
Brown, president of the Information.
al Association of machinists, ar
independent union, last month ir
reply to a suggestion from Brown
that various government agencies.
including the OPA. have "adequate
information to show the relation
of labor cost and profits to actual
total production cost.
Brown wrote that by assembling
and publishing this data. the gov.
eminent can and should turn the
spotlight on manufacturers. process.
sors, wholesalers and retailers who
are placing artificial prices on con
sumner goods and farm imple-
ments."
In reply Mr.. Truman steered
clear of any comment of Browns
charge of "artificial'' prices but
expressed appreciation TO
Browns views and added:
What I am hoping to do is to
get the Federal Trade commission
figures, the Budget bureau figures,
the OPA and Labor department
figures coordinated.
"All statistical activities of the
government should be consolidated
and that is what l hope to do even
tually."
Besides the agencies Mr.. Truman
mentioned. others which collect i'm
portant statistics relating to bust
ness costs and profits include the
Commerce department, Federal
Reserve board and the Securities
commission.
During the war a number of these
agencies reduced their figure-keep-
ing activities because the OPA re-
CURED firms to submit confiden-
tlal reports on their financial stu
ations, including labor costs. These
OPA files have been turned over to
the Federal Trade commission
where they are now being analysed.
Rather than actually merge the
various statistical agencies, Mr..
Truman apparently wants to CORE
late their findings so as to present
a more readily understandable and
detailed picture.
The Commerce department as
sembles figures generally relating
to trade and production quantity,
the Labor department to prices
and wages, the Federal Reserve
board to savings and income. the
Securities commission to the fiscal
condition of its listed firms - each
getting part of the complete story
1t was Browns position that a
full government reporting of all the
data on costs and profits would
serve as a guide to help prevent
"leapfrogging by industry and Ia
bor." He explained he meant the
experience of repeated wage in
creases followed by price Jumps.
I'VE propose" Brown said in a
statement at the time he wrote
Mr.. Truman, that the government
make available to the public the
costs involved in the manufa cture
OF essential commodities - food,
clothing. housing and essential ap-
pliances and spotlight the labor
costs and the mahufa ctuer's profit.
drawing percentage parallels in the
rise in labor costs and the rise in
selling prices.
Labor unions have confidence
that when the public Is given true
act concerning the manufacturing
uosls 81 articles, they will eliminate
those items from their nurch
iists which have exorbitant SELF
ing prices in relationship to labor.
and merchandising cost,