Evening star., 1950-12-08
Di Sale Sees No Need
For General Price and
Wage Controls Now
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man of the Wage Sterilization
Board.
The conference was held after
a White House spokesman said in
answer to many rumors that
President Truman had discussed
a general mobilization and deelara-
ton of national emergency
order with his advisers. But, the
White House official added. mobili-
sation of the Nations full man
power and materials resources is
not imminent.
The Federal price and wage
chiefs made their statements to-
day in the face of increasing pres
sure from Congress and elsewhere
for immediate imposition of a
price and wage freeze.
In his statements today. Mr..
Valentine did not rule out the
possibility of a freeze. but he in
dicated that such action would
be taken only If the general war
threat becomes much more acute.
Both MI Valentine and Mr..
Di Sale said definitely that no
control regulations were being
drawn for issuance next Sunday,
as some reports had indicated.
At the same time, Mr.. Valentine
issued a blunt warning to the
automobile industry implying that
unless it voluntarily holds down
its prices the Government even
tually will take steps to bring the
industry under mandatory price
control. He indicated that if the
auto industry does not act of its
own accord the prices Of cars may
be rolled back at some future
date.
Last night Mr.. Valentine sent re-
quests to the General Motors
Corp. and the Ford Motor Co. ask
ing them to suspend" the 5 to Z
per cent price increases on new
cars announced early in the week.
He also asked eight other car
makers not to raise prices.
No Replies Received Yet.
Mr.. Valentine said today that
so far he has received no reply
from any of the manufacturers.
Mr.. Di Sale made frequent
references to hoarders and prof
tteers in the present situation. He
defined a prof1teer as one who
raised the price of his product
unnecessarily. A reporter asked if
he considered General Motors and
Ford as profiteers. Mr.. Di Sale
then indicated that he considered
the recent price boosts of those
companies as unnecessary.
Mr.. Valentine said that his
Office will rush plans for all-out
controls and at the same time
continue it's efforts to have in
dustry and labor keep down prices
and wages voluntarily.
He limited that while this vol
untary campaign and preparation
for full controls are going on
some selected industries may be
brought under control. Those
industries would be those where
the stabilizers thought prices had
been boosted unnecessarily and it
could include the auto industry.
Won't Comment on Report.
A high White House official
said last night that eventual i'm
position of full curbs on prices
and wages is inevitable
Mr.. Valentine said that he could
not comment on that statement
because it is not known at this
time how completely it will be
necessary to mobilize the country
for war.
In his warning to price prof.
teers, Mr.. Valentine described as
"very interesting" suggestion
made in a new story recently that
the Government could beat infla-
ton by making the freeze date of
prices retroactive.
AS to when price and wage
curbs should be imposed, Mr.
Di Sale said he agreed with At
torney General McGrath that to
preserve full democracy in the
country the Government must
hold up imposition of controls to
the last possible moment.
Formal Statement Issued.
Mr.. Di Sale issued a formal
statement in which he said:
1T is our task to mobilize the
people of the Nation. that is the
consumer, management, labor and
agriculturalists in an all-out effort
to keep this Nation sound econom-
ically in the face of defense needs
mo greater contribution to this
program could be made than to
emphasize the value of individual
conduct in this drive.
individual self-discipline and
restraint will be our greatest
weapons in the job that has to
be done; buy only that which is
absolutely necessary; refrain from
boarding; refuse to profiteer; keep
calm amongst rumors of short
ages; remember that the produc-
tive capacity of this Nation con-
tinues to be great enough to sup
ply our needs at this time"