Show MARQUIS CHILDS Despite Adverse Propaganda Public Wanted OPA Back I I V WASHINGTON To To To hail the adoption of a slightly revised O 0 P A as a great triumph of the popular will would be a long longway longway longway way from the truth How effectively effectively effectively ef ef- ef- ef it will push back the tide of mounting prices is still stilla a large question But above and beyond the shrieking o of the propaganda dervishes certain facts stand standout standout standout out which should not be forgot forgot- ten First of ot all a great majority majority majority ma ma- of oC the American people wanted price control continued Whatever you may think of the popular opinion polls they are a measure however exact of the current tides of opinion The other day Elmo Elino Roper whose polls have shown a re remarkable remarkable re- re remarkable degree of oC accuracy pointed out a significant thing Polls Were Vere Pro Canvassing Can all the polls taken on on n the question of oC whether price control should or should not be kept he showed in an article inthe in inthe inthe the New York Tribune Herald e that every poll without exception exception tion reported a large majority in favor or ol of keeping controls This was true of ol the Gallup poll of the National Opinion Research Research Re Re- search center in Denver and of ot such reliable local polls as those conducted by the Des Moines Register in Iowa and the Minneapolis Minneapolis Minneapolis Minne Minne- apolis Tribune in Minnesota The percentages varied somewhat somewhat some sonic what but ut when the direct question question question ques ques- tion was put at least 65 of those asked said yes they did want controls continued That is a very high average particularly particularly particularly when the number expressIng expressing express express- ing no view is taken into consideration con con- k 82 Said Yes On Ort April 21 the National Opinion Research center asked the question During the next year do you think it will be necessary or unnecessary for the government to continue to control prices two Eighty per cent answered It would be necessary 13 unnecessary and 5 were undecided This then refutes the propaganda propaganda propaganda ganda that 0 OPA P A was not lar Of Ot course it was not popular popular lar with those who wanted to tomake tomake make malce a killing on hoarded inventories In Inventories in- in of ol scarce goods Nor Noran can an a majority of 65 or better bet bet- ter be put down merely to pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure groups such lUch as C CIO do I 0 and A FL A second bit of propaganda it seems to me mc has exaggerated out of all proportion to the truth the black market in such scarce commodities as meat We Ve in our family have never paid more than ceiling prices for meat and while we may have been more fortunate than some we have not felt that we suffered from a shortage of meat Black Markets 1 Rare Moreover I have made a point In recent months of asking a great many people they bought black market marcet meat of ot If it they knew where it could be bought 1 have havo never heard anyone say nay that through their own hand first-hand knowledge they could get rare cuts of meats by paying higher prices From the propaganda one would have ha gathered that most Americans were patronizing the black market Restaurants and hotels perhaps resorted to under the under the counter sources But so far tar as most householders arc concerned there has lias been no proof Ver that t the they h e y t sought out black markets in the mass A third line of ot propaganda has ha sought to convince us that high prices were merely tempo tempo- Supply and demand it has Jaas been argued would inevitably inevitably inevitably bly work to bring reasonable prices again Overlooks Factors This overlooks o several fac fac- tors One is that demand in the light o of accumulated reserves of purchasing power is likely to tobe tobe be mlles miles ahead of ot supply for a along along along long time to come come ome The aftermath of ot the war Is abnormal In other ways As the Denver Post pointed out in a a. recent editorial the supply of meat is likely to be scarce in the fall taU and winter because of the diversion of oc grain to Europe and andAsia andAsia andAsia Asia for the relief of oC hunger What happens to prices now particularly to meat prices is scarcely typical since buying always falls off oft in the summer You can look back to the beginning beginning be be- be- be ginning of price control Bernard Bernard Bernard Ber Ber- nard M M. Baruch said then with unmistakable clarity that only b by controlling all elements in inthe inthe inthe the economy Including wages and using taxes and finance rigorously as a supplement would it be possible to hold back the tide of inflation Political Pressure He said too t o that the law Jaw as adopted during the war should provide a continuation of oc price controls for two years after the war But the political pressures pressures pres pres- pressures were ere too great Or such was the judgment of ot President Roosevelt and the men around him Now 0 OPA P A Is a thing of ot shreds and patches But it is better than nothing at all aU arid arld that is why President Truman decided to sign the new bill By his earlier veto he made an honest try to get something stronger but just as 88 in the beginning beginning beginning be- be be be- ginning of 0 OPA P A congress de decided decided de- de decided it was Wa politically sible Copyright 1946 by United Feature Syndicate |