Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-09-01
So He Wants Focfs

u "oracle-minded" editor of The Times
- the somewhat whithered little errand
boy on the payroll of Paul Block, Jr. -
the venerable gentleman wants the facts"
And the ''truth" with respect to Sen. Taft's
activities in the US. Senate. This sudden
urge for a bit of light was elected by u
statement last week that Taft brought
onto the American people prices that are
out of this world; prices that are still
climbing, giving wage cut after wage cut
to those who have to work for a living.
Now, Mr.. Editor, despite your indignant
outburst, we refuse to take back one single
word of this statement.
On the contrary, we shall oblige you
and give you FACTS to drive home the
tragic truth of this statement even if it
means the dislocation of your moribund
mental mechanism.
Il Il 4
Nov, SIR, if you will permit us, we
IN should like to start with a flat state
ment: Prices are not only outrageously
HIGH, but they are RISING DAILY. AS
= matter of fact, prices have been going
up ever since OPA was killed RIGHT
AFTER THE WAR. We say, Sir, that Sen.
Taft and his cohorts, were the burial mas
tiers of OPA and, hence, the begettors of
the rapidly rising prices thereafter.
But before we go into the specific role
that Mr.. Taft played in this - to the
American people tragic situation, we
should like to give a bit of background
material on Mr.. Republican. For Sen.
Taft has been waging his relentless fight
against the American for a good
many years.
rs long ago as 1921, April 81, when
Taft was fighting rent control in the Ohio
State Senate right after World War !, he
said without blushing that "the higher the
the rents the more incentive for people to
Qwn their own homes"
Sir. Mr.. Taft never changed his mind.
He still feels the way he felt 20 years ago
And war or peace makes no difference to
him.
On May 81, 1912, five months after
Pearl Harbor, Taft addressed the Senate
on prices and price-control by saying II
do not think there is any great harm in
an increase of 20 TO rs per cent in prices.
h i am concerned a b T." he con-
tinued in an effort to cover up his invita-
ton for price hik S, sis prices getting
away from us entirely"
Certainly the last part of this statement
reads fine. Some people. might even be-
lieve it. But Taft never believed it. For
within one month, June 20, 1912 to be
exact, he declared that 81 don't think we
can maintain a frozen price ceiling on
products In time of war"
Il 4
VA1ELL, SIR, we did maintain ceilings
W on prices throughout the war.
True, it was difficult. Profiteers and
blackmarketeers were trying their damn
est to cripples OPA operations. In this,
Mr.. Taft was of inestimable help to these
people. For the Hon. Taft never ceased
fighting controls.
"In my opinion" declared Taft on
May 10, l945, just when the Nazi war
machine was finally crushed in Europe,
the price control policy now in effect lis
Tar too strict, even for wartime"
Then shortly after VI Day, Sept. 10,
lS45, Taft again dashed out against price
control.
Il think" said Mr.. Republican on that
day, lit is doubtful whether price control
should be continued, though personally I
should be willing to continue il in the case
OF perhaps ten or a dozen basic products"
Well, Sir, Taft and his working crew
did succeed in taking the life out of price
control. Subsequently, when the Republi-
can Both Congress took charge of things
In l947-with Mr.. Taft playing a dominant
and leading role therein price control
and OPA was finally wrecked and buried
completely.
h Il 4
WHAT HAPPENED to prices since that
w time is common knowledge.
Even the editor of The Times should
be familiar with this story. Prices have
and are still skyrocketing out of reach of
ordinary working people. AS we pointed
out before, within one month after Taft
and his wrecking crew succeeded in sink
ing OPA, prices of all items rose and aver
age of over 300.
But during this one month, the price
ct FOOD ITEMS skyrocketed to an aver
average of ITO, with some food items like
meat going up over 1000.
Tan anvona in his Sane ro;nL eau, 49,