OCR Text |
Show MGO-ROUND WW PEARSON SIXTY MILLION JOBS One of the most significant discussions dis-cussions affecting the postwar world and the 60,000,000 jobs promised by Roosevelt is now taking place behind be-hind the scenes among top admin-istrationites. admin-istrationites. It involves the price which manufacturers can charge for peacetime consumer goods when they begin making them, as some companies will shortly. A certain amount of peacetime production already has been authorized author-ized by the War Production board, and to prevent inflation, the OPA will set the price of these goods. This is where the backstage debate has waxed hot and vehement. On one side have been Economic Stabilizer Judge Vinson, War Mobi-lizer Mobi-lizer Jimmy Byrnes and for a while, OPA Administrator Chester Bowles, all arguing that prices of civilian articles produced now must not rise above the prices paid for the same articles in 1942. On the other side are industry members of OPA, led by James Brownlee, formerly of Frankfort Distilleries, who argue that prices must be above 1942 in order to allow al-low for increased wages and the higher cost of raw materials. They have worked out a substitute formula for-mula based upon 1941 prices plus wage increases, plus the increased cost of raw materials, and they have now sold this formula to Bowles, despite his former speeches for the 1942 price base. Judge Vinson, however, points out that increased wage and raw material ma-terial costs in many cases have been nullified by labor-saving devices. de-vices. Most striking example of this was in the OPA study of the steel industry, showing that, despite increased wages, the cost of producing pro-ducing steel had decreased 9 per cent per unit since 1942. Another factor influencing Economic Eco-nomic Stabilizer Vinson is the fact that 85 per cent of the goods involved in-volved are produced by only 18 companies. com-panies. Incidentally, Vinson is supported by General Electric's Charley Wilson, Wil-son, formerly of the War Production Produc-tion board, who says that GE will sell its refrigerators and washing machines at pre-war prices. To do otherwise, he says, is "shallow, passive pas-sive thinking." Finally, Vinson, Byrnes and other administration leaders are beginning begin-ning to lay the economic groundwork ground-work for the 60,000,000 jobs whi.ch Roosevelt promised after the war. And they are absolutely convinced that, in order to have a big consumer con-sumer demand, there must be low prices, which in turn will keep factory fac-tory wheels turning and men employed. em-ployed. The principle of high prices and scarcity, they argue, will mean fewer jobs and depression. GOP PLANS FOR '48 Despite discouragement over Dewey's Dew-ey's defeat, GOP leaders already are laying plans for 1948. First step will be further revitalization of Republican Re-publican headquarters, enlistment of a cracker-jack staff to pep up party machinery. Republican Chairman Herbert Brownell, who has been resting in Arizona, wants to resign, will call a national committee meeting shortly short-ly after the first of the year which promises to be turbulent. Several factions will be gunning for Dewey, may try to seize control of the party machinery, set the stage for "Stas-sen "Stas-sen in '48." One key man in the post-election GOP set-up is shrewd, popular publicist pub-licist Lee Chesley, who joined the campaign late, is now in charge of national committee publicity. Chesley, Ches-ley, one of the brightest press agents on the Washington scene, is anxious to slug it out toe to toe with Democratic Demo-cratic publicist Paul Porter. Ches-ley's Ches-ley's Washington predecessor, Carlisle Car-lisle Bargeron, handled publicity for the powerful Pennsylvania GOP machine ma-chine during the campaign, and plans to continue working for Boss Joe Pew now that the balloting is over. CAPITAL CHAFF C. The treasury department had two war films ready to show the public in the war bond drive, calculated to bring the war really home to the American people. One showed a sailor on a stricken vessel, his clothes aflame, desperately trying to put the flames out. The other was a close-up film of a soldier on the battlefield bat-tlefield dying. When the films were shown to OWI, it not only ordered that they not be shown to the public, but that the films be destroyed. C. Newly elected Sen. "Cowboy" Glen Taylor of Idaho is first cousin to sphinxlike Harold Dixon Young, who steers Vice President Wallace's political fortunes. C. The White House got a terrific barrage from the senate when word leaked out that two Jesse Jones henchmen, plus one disciple of Democratic Dem-ocratic treasurer Ed Pauley, were to be appointed to the three-man Surplus War Property board. Senator Sena-tor Murray of Montana wired the President that he was shocked at tie proposed appointments and woa'd do his best to block them. C. Biggest crowds in the halls of the Pentagon building these days are officers hanging around vending machines, ma-chines, waiting for them to be filled with cigarettes. |