Evening star., 1951-02-05
Disable Wires Mayors
Asking Volunteers 10
Enforce Price Control
By Froncis P. DouqIos

Price Director Michael v. Disable
Is asking the aid of volunteers
throughout the country to help
him enforce price control orders.
He sent kilograms yesterday to
mayors of all cities of more than
10000 population, asking them to
set up committees.
These committees. he said,
would provide means of assisting
regional and district Offices of price
stabilization in encouraging gen.
eral public knowledge and observ-
ance of regulations adopted in the
interest of sound national econ
omy."
Mr.. Disable, himself formerly
Mayor Of Toledo, Ohio, said he
is convinced that those laws and
regulations are most respected
which are best understood and
easiest to observe"
Differ Over Jurisdiction.
The appeal for public support
came as difference arose be-
tween Mr.. DiSalle's Office of Price
Sterilization and the Justice De-
partment over which agency is to
enforce the price control orders.
The question may ultimately be
referred to President Truman.
The law under which the agency
was set up says that the agency
may use the services of other Gov
eminent departments, but shall
not delegate enforcement to any
other agency. But in another
place the law states that litiga-
tion arising under the act or the
regulations issued under its au-
thority shall be under the control
Of the Attorney General.
F. Joseph Donaghue, appointed
q week ago to be in charge of
enforcement. referred to this as q
"glaring inconsistency"
Ford Disavows Dispute.
Assistant Attorney General
Peyton Ford, under whose direc-
ton q price-wage unit being set
up in the Justice Department will
operate, told reporters he know of
no disagreement. He said he had
had no dispute with anybody
about the matter
Mr.. Disable, however, was said
to feel he cannot carry out the
price control program properly
without enforcement in his own
agency.
officials in the Economic Sta
bilization Agency, of which Mr..
DiSalle's Office is a part, said Eric
Johnston, ESA head. probably will
attempt to bring about a compro-
mise on the question. Failing
that. it was said. he probably will
refer the problem to Mr.. Truman.
Mr.. Disable warned in a broad
cast that violators of price con-
trolls will be relentlessly prose-
cuted"
Today Chairman Maybank of
the Senate House Watchdog"
Committee on Economic Mobiliza-
ton announced his group will seek
to settle the argument. Both Mr..
Disable and Mr.. McGrath have
been called to testify before the
committee Wednesday
Public Hearings Scheduled.
Senator Maybank also an
nounced:
/. On Thursday and Friday, the
Senate-House committee will con-
duct public hearings on other
phases Of the mobilization pro-
gram. He said these will be con-
cerned particularly with COM
plants about ALLEGATIONS of scarce
materials and the witnesses will
be Defense Mobilization Chief
Charles E. Wilson, Economic
Sterilization Director Eric John
ston and Defense Production Ad-
ministrator William H. Harrison.
2. The committee is inquiring
into the effect of the Govern
ment's price freeze order on cot
ton. The freeze exempted cotton
at the producer level and the Ma
tion's cotton exchanges have been
closed since the order went into
effect because of confusion over
how 1t Is to work on exchange
prices.
His move to ask the mayors of
1883 cities to set up volunteer
committees was credited by Mr..
Disable to a suggestion by Mayor
William v. Bailey of Battle Greek,
Mich.
Components Suggested.
The telegram suggested that the
committees be made up of repre-
sentatives of publications, radio
and television stations, advertis-
Ing clubs, civic, labor, educational,
veterans, industry, employers, re-
tail and other organizations.
Mr.. Disable pointed to Satur-
Aoy q VA oO1 1O11AA4S OdNh OllC III lCC
Of scrap iron and steel and
promised that other rollbacks
would come. He said also that
some controls may be necessary
for fresh fruits, vegetables, fish
and seafood. But he indicated
they would not come for some
time.
Meanwhile the Wage Stabiliza-
tion Board headed by Cyrus S.
Ching continued to struggle with
the formulation of an overall
wage policy. officials said that
this policy may be promulgated
this week, to take the place of
the general wage freeze of Janu-
ary Is.
Some exemptions from that
order already have been an
nounced and the policy statement
is expected to relax the order in a
number OF directions. It is be-
lieved that price increases will he