Evening star., 1962-04-21

Neither his high office nor
great wealth can excuse
President Kennedy's dema-
gogic and unsubStantiated
charges a ainst Chairman
Blough Of U. s. Steel for his
announced rise in steel prices.
Ira B. Hill.
According to the Wall
Street Journal, the Merchan-
disc Mart, a sort Of home
furnishings and appliance
wholesalers shopping center
in Chicago, is raising its rents
3 to 5 per cent. What makes
this Of particular interest Is
that the Merchandise Mart
is owned by President Ken
nedy's father. This wholly
unjustifiable and irresponsi-
BILE defiance Of the public in
terest" has thus far evoked
none Of the cries Of right
eouS indignation (and threats
Of vindictive retribution)
from the White House which
accompanied another, better
publicized price rise which
was announced last week.
Can 1t be that we have a dou-
BILE standard of pricing pol
icieS-one for those on the
outside and another for those
on the inside?
Robert M. Hall.
AA&
An industry that is a law
abiding, outstanding pillar Of
society one day Is the next
day an enemy Of society, and
an agent Of conspiracy
against the people.
One branch of the Govern
ment acts-with threats, with
propaganda, and finally with
the national law-enforcement
agency.
Action is started to fine the
largest companies of an in
dustry, the directors face i'm
prisonment. Agents Of the
Government knock on the
doors of people who might be
used as witnesses at 04O0 and
$50 in the morning.
Japan and Italy in the 20s?
Germany in the 30s? No! The
United States Of America,
April 1862.
The end sought is admira-
Bile; the action taken to
achieve the end is reprehen-
sible and terribly dangerous.
r. A. Nc COrmick.
I was shocked at President
Kennedy'S attack on the steel
companies. He wrought his
fury on the executives of
U. S. Steel for raising their
prices on steel. AS Roger M.
Blough said, to pay the
raises labor demands and to
modernize plants, have new
er machinery and give stock
holders a fair return on their
investments he had to raise
prices. The President of the
United States acted a lot like
a dictator.
Mrs. Donald Black
4 -
Because I have always con-
sidered that your editorials
presented both sides Of a
subject, I have subscribed to
your paper for many years.
H wever, your editorial
"Steel's Shocker" shocked me
as well as many Of your de-
voted readers. Could it be
that The Star really believes
that following the line is the
courageous thing, the safe
way? I sincerely hope that
this Is not true. 7 am just a
retired Government employe,
living on a small pension, and
price rises, even the increased
cost Of a newspaper, are not
easy to bear on a fixed in
come. I know though that the
Presidents towering rage
about harm done to the pen
sioner is not real. He is a
poor loser. He has never had
the experience that poverty
gives one. The unions will al
ways benefit as long as they
give the money and produce
the votes.
Reader.
Regardless Of the harm or
good to the economy by a
rise in the price of steel, how
in a free enterprise society is
it ever in the public inter-
est" for the Government to
dictate the price that a pri-
vate corporation must charge
for its merchandise?
George B. Seeley, Jr.
Editors Note: The Star
regrets that space limitations
make it impossible to publish
additional letters on this
Subject.)