Evening star., 1950-10-01
Price and Pay Control
Believed Nearer Than
Was First Expected

The reported presidential choice
Of Cyrus S. Ching for the job of
chairman of the wage stabilization
board was taken yesterday as in
dicating the Administration is
moving sooner than expected
toward the control of prices and
wages to curb imitation.
Mr.. Ching is now head of the
Federal Mediation and Concilia-
ton Service. His acceptance of
the post, which his friends say he
will take under presidential in
sistence, would mean the first
crack in the problem of finding
able men to fill four important
places in the defense setup.
One of the other three positions
Is that of civilian defense director.
It was reliably reported that over
lures had been made to James A.
Farley of New York about taking
this place but that he declined.
Also sought are men for the
Jobs Of economic stabilization ad-
ministrator and price control di-
rector. The administrator would
head the price and wage control
organization, with the price con-
troll director and the chairman of
the wage control board reporting
to him.
Measures Believed Inadequate.
The search for men to fill these
places was begun even before
President Truman signed the De-
fense Production Act more than
three weeks ago.
Little can be done toward price
control until these positions are
filled. Although the price and
wage control measures in the
Defense Act were regarded as
valuable as standby powers, it
is becoming apparent that the ad-
ministration intends to exercise
them sooner than expected.
: A persuasive reason for this is
that the tax increase which goes
into effect today and the credit
controls which became effective
two weeks ago do not appear to
promise to be enough to hold down
prices.
It will take so long to build up
q control organiZation-and it is
believed big one will be neces-
sary-that some officials are urg-
ing that the Job be started at
once.
The Council of Economic Ad-
visers is reported to share this
view although formerly it recon-
mended that reliance be placed
on credit controls and tax in
creases.
Extent Of Controls Disputed.
There is a difference Of opinion
over how far the control program
should go. In some quarters it is
believed that controls over just
some items should be enough.
The law provides, however, that
where price ceilings are estab-
lished the President must stabilize
wages of those producing the con-
trolled products. Controlling some
wages and not others would leave
the controlled industry open to
losing it's workers to uncontrolled
industry.
; Dissatisfaction with the law is
said to be. one reason for the diff
ficulty in finding top men to take
the control posts. Also cited is the
difficulty of enforcing price con-
trolls under conditions lacking the
urgency of war which would bring
public cooperation.
The search for able men to fill
the vacancies is being made by
w. Stuart Symington, National
Security Resources Board chair
man, and Donald S. Dawson, ad-
ministrative assistant to President
Truman. The civil defense Office in
the NSRB became vacant two
weeks ago with the resignation of
Paul j. Larson. director of the
Office, on completion Of the plan
ming job.
Appointees Are Reluctant.
Experiences of World War II
still are fresh in the minds Of
many. Then the first appointees
to handle price controls and civil
defense ran into tough going.
Initial steps were accompanied by
uproar and the original appointees
finally withdrew. Prospects for the
jobs this time remember that,
and martyrdom is not courted.
One person close to the scene
described the Governments pre-
dicament this way: "A man smart
enough to handle such job is
too smart to take it,"
It is conceded that in sharper
emergency patriotic motives would
overcome personal feelings and the
administration could draft almost