Evening star., 1953-02-13
Some Increases
Seen in Latest
Price DecontroI
Few Consumer
Items Moy Rise;
OPS to Fire 1000
By Froncis P. DouqIos

By Froncis P. Douglos
Price control officials today
looked for some price increases
to follow removal of controls
from a second batch of products
in the administrations decontrol
program.
The increases were expected
chiefly in products used In
industry.
AS a sequel to the decontrol
steps, dismissal notices are in
preparation for about 1000
Office of Price Sterilization en-
ployeS.> Three hundred of the
total are in the Washington
office, 1,700 are in the field.
The notices, to be handed out
Monday, will be effective on
March Is. The remaining force
will total 1900 in Washington
and 1900 in the field.
Forecast for Consumers.
Generally speaking, those
items decontrolled that enter
into the consumers purchases
are not expected to rise in price.
In this class are:
Poultry, eggs and allied prod
uctS-Fred KoIker of the Kolker
Poultry Co., head of the Mer-
chants & Manufacturers Asso-
citation poultry group, said both
poultry and eggs are plentiful,
are selling under the ceiling
levels. He said he does not be-
lieve prices will be affected by
decontrol.
Soaps. cleansers and deter
gentS-Price Stabilizer Joseph H.
Freehill, in announcing the
products decontrolled, said he
does not believe there will be
price increases in this category
except in the case Of industrial
detergentS.
Fats and oils, except oleomar-.
garine-Mr. Freehill said no in
crease is expected.
On Petroleum Products.
Petroleum and it's products,
including gasoline, but exclud-
ing No. 2 Chome) heating oil
j. Mcdonald Price, jr., Of the
Washington ESQ Standard Oil
Co. Office. said he knows of no
price increase contemplated by
his company in this area. Price
boosts are looked for elsewhere
by OPS officials.
Tires and all other rubber
products, including footwear and
apparel. and crude rubber-Mr.
Freehill said he does not look
for much price change"
Rubber industry spokesmen
said auto tires and tubes won't
go up in price.
Other categories from which
the price controls were lifted
are:
Paints, varnishes and lacquers.
Paper, pulp and paper prod
ucts. including paper board and
paper bags, and newsprint. Mr..
Freehill said pressures for higher
prices were not looked for except
in the case of newsprint. 4
Glass containers and window
glass.
Construction services for build
ings, highways and railroads.
Some increases are looked for.
Copper Scrap Due to Jump.
Scrap metals. An OPS official
predicted that copper scrap, now
1914 cents pound, should reach
about 80 cents pretty fast" He
said there is pressure for higher
prices on all scrap.
Lead, zinc, tin and most minor
metals and minerals.
Iron ore.
AAO4oNA4SdOCO AIOuS111SS
Castings and forgings.
Rentals of most industrial ma
chinery and equipment.
Collapsible tubes. such as used
for tooth paste.
Metal cap closures such as
used on beverage bottles.
In the list are products max
ing up about rs per cent of the
items on the Consumers Price
Index. About 81 per cent still
are under price controls.
Milk Still Under Control.
Milk. earlier reported listed
for decontrol, was kept under
ceilings.
One official said the Govern
ment is reluctant to lift controls
from too many products directly
affecting the consumer and on
which selling prices are expected
to rise at once.
Chief items still under control.
beside milk and dairy products,
include dry groceries, cigarettes,
beer sold outside Of restaurants.
cosmetics, large household ap-
pliances such as washers and re-