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Show 0?A Price Regulations Given Praise For Accomplishments By WAYNE HINTON ' The OPA has received much praise and some criticism because be-cause of price control and point changes for certain food articles. From kindergarten days on, most of us are conscious of the five senses we possess, namely: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Then there is a sixth sense of which we are usually most sensitive and that is our pocket books. I have observed that most of those who criticize OPA and price control, have some scarce article for sale, such as butter and eggs in the fall and hay in the spring, as well as other articles. Without price regulations, such articles would pyramid in price far above their proper values. Sugar, shoes, cars, meat, spices and hundreds of other items would be selling today at two or three times their present prices. Sugar today sells at 40c per 5 lb. bag or $7.10 per hundred. During World War I, sugar prices skyrocketed to $30. per hundred, and would have done the same at this time, were it not for price control. Potatoes, flour, meats canned fruits and vegetables and thousands of other articles have likewise been held in check. It has been estimated that price control saved the American public $13,000,000,000 in 1944, and the g o v e r nment $18,000,000,000 in their purchases. That 18 billion dollars was also a saving to the taxpayers. According to history, both the Civil war and the Revolutionary war cost twice as much as they should have done, due to inflation. World War I cost at least twice as much as it should have done, and without price control this war would do the same. In addition to holding down prices, price control has meant a more equal distribution of food. It has prevented hoarding by the wealthy, so that the working man and people of low income could get their share of American food stocks. The next time you feel inclined to grumble at OPA, remember that our index number after four years of fighting in 140 as compared com-pared to 240 in World War I. In other words, 51.40 now will buy what would have cost $2.40 in 1919; or 58c now is worth what $1.00 was in 1919. Each time I go down town I hear complaints about gasoline rationing. People claim there is plenty of gasoline but the Government Govern-ment won't release it for use. May I remind those who have this Idea that Hlnce the offensive started start-ed irt France on June 6, 1041, the armed forces of the U. S. have used 400 million gallons of gaso line per day. That Is six times what they were Using in January, 1942, when they used 75 million gallons per day. With the war needs totaling 400 million gallons per day, plus civilian consumption, it is small wonder that rationing is necessary. In Utah, we are scarcely more than one day from the pumps, using today the gasoline manufactured manu-factured yesterday by the Wasatch and Utah oil companies. If the equipment of these companies should fail, we would face a serious ser-ious situation. Patriotism can be shown at home as well as on the battle-fronts, battle-fronts, by eliminating unnecessary driving, by keeping our cars in good repair, by using other means of travel whenever possible and by not listening to or spreading propoganda. |