Show TilE THE CONSUMER CRUNCH r ri r i J 1 t Iw ti tl 1 t J ANOTHER CASE FOR OR LESS REGULATION Over the years there seems to have developed an axiom in Washington that bigger government means better government Particularly under the guise of protecting the consumer this canard has to 1000 related consumer helped spawn programs programs programs pro pro- grams in 33 federal departments and agencies But Dut there is increasing consumer recognition that many of the regulatory regulator programs arc are working against him rather than for him An excellent case in point is the current shortage of natural gas and emergency efforts to deregulate for the short run The need for term long-term deregulation of natural gas prices was clearly stated recently by R R. R Heath Larry chairman of the National Association of Manufacturers and vice chairman US U.S. Steel Corp in a letter to the Carter Administration He said The only successful approach to increasing the supply of natural gas will be one which has as its foundation the complete complete complete com com- deregulation of all new natural gas The emergency bills will only lead Congress to squander its time on stop gap measures and further postpone coming to grips with an enduring enduring enduring endur endur- ing solution The same might be said of a vast number of regulatory gambits |