Evening star., 1948-10-07

were available would be sold at q
fair price. We made sure that the
wages and salaries We were earning
would not lose their purchasing
power.
From the time of President Roose.
velt's '1hold-the- line" order in May
l943, until the Republicans killed
effective price control in 1916, prices
remained almost unchanged. They
increased only 81 per cent. This
was the finest job of stabilizing 9
wartime economy any country has
ever done.
There was no good reason why
prices could not have been held
down after the war ended-untiI
supply caught up with demand.
Our Democratic administration
had a careful plan for keeping con-
trolls on goods in short supply, anc
gradually taking them of as supply
caught up with demand. Under that
plan, the county would have gone
forward steadily and firmly to q
peaCetlMe economy.
Big Business Wanted More.
But the unholy alliance of big
business and the Republican Party
did not want it that way. Big busi-
ness wanted to make more money.
Corporate profits, even under price
control, were more than double what
they were before the war. But that
wasn't enough for big business.
So the biggest corporations in the
country Clipped in three million
dollars to one organization to con-
vince the American people that
price control was bad. This three
million dollar campaign was a huge
success. The National Association
of Manufacturers actually boasted
about it. They said that when NAM
started the campaign against OPA
q survey showed IS per cent of the
people believed that OPA was abso-
lutely necessary. They said that in
November, 1916, after the NAM
campaign. only 26 per cent of the
people believed that OPA was vital
Once public support was destroyed
1t was not too hard to get the Law
changed. The Republican leaders in
Congress were ready, willing and
able. They killed OPA by amend
ing it to death.
They were proud Of their accom-
plishment. Senator Wherry, the
Republican whip, stated to the lum-
ber manufacturers, and I quote:
1T was the Republican leadership
in the Senate and the House that
was responsible for ending OPA."
That, of course, is not the story
they tell you now. They blame high
prices on everything and everybody
except the Republican party and ex-
cessive business profits.
They're using the farmer as thei,
whipping boy in the cities, and labor
as their whipping boy on the farm
Apparently they figure that If they
can get the city folks good and mad
at the farmers, and the farmers
good and mad at the city folks, they
will have unity.
Both Sides OF Mouth.
I want to say something to you
here and now-because I don't talk
out Of both sides Of my mouth at
the same time. I am just as strong
for the welfare of the farmer as ]
am for the welfare of the city
worker. I believe the prosperity Of
one helps the prosperity of the
other. I want you to know that I
am in favor of fair prices for the
farmer, just as I want the farmer
to know that I am in favor Of good
wages for labor.
Farm price supports have not
caused high prices. AS a matter of
fact, the farm price support pro-
gram Is a great blessing to city
people. It has resulted In such
great increases in farm production
that consumer prices are lower than
they would be II we had no farm
price supports.
And how about our workers?
Since OPA was killed In 1946, work
ers have been on a treadxnill, run