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Show OPA AND WPB ACT TO RETURN LOW PRICED CLOTHES Drastic steps are being taken by the Office of Price Administration Administra-tion and the War Production Board to bring about the return of low-priced clothing to the merchants mer-chants shelves. clothing prices have increased "During the last 18 months, more than eleven percent, only the 4.5 percent reduction in food prices kept living costs from rising ris-ing to dangerous levels," the chairman chair-man said. "Shifting by manufacturers manufac-turers to higher price lines with the repeal of the highest price limitation resulted in sales of women's wo-men's dresses, for example, changing chang-ing from 70 percent of them selling sell-ing for $7.93 or less in 1943 to 70 percent now selling above that price. The Bankhead Amendment has cost clothing shoppers approximately approx-imately $100,000,000 in increased prices for cotton goods, according to recent figures." Steps laid down by the two agencies ag-encies include controls to see that price rises be absorbed by wholesalers whole-salers and retailers and not passed on to the consumer; textiles will be channeled into more essential and lower-priced types of apparel within the limits of supply; manufacturers manu-facturers will produce in the same average price lines in which they produced two years ago; clothing cloth-ing will be of better quality; most clothing will carry price tags giving giv-ing top OPA ceilings; and firmer control of prices will be in effect at all levels including retail. It is important to note that this program will not increase the total to-tal supply of civilian clothing but will shift emphasis from high priced and non-essential garments to lower priced and essential clothing. |