Show U. U S. S Family and Price Control F P s 4 p 4 r Courtesy U U. U S S. Department of ot Agriculture I In May 1 1939 the department of agriculture inaugurated the Federal Food Stamp plan to assist millions of families such as this one Today I in 42 the federal government through its price control bill is again attempting to help this family and others by trying to prevent inflation during the war and deflation when peace comes Inflation bringing about a skyrocketing of retail prices invariably hits the working man I John Q Public and his family carrying on and completion of the war or for civilian use and consumption What price is Leon Henderson administrator administrator administrator ad ad- of the Office of Price Administration Administration Administration Ad Ad- ministration going to put as tops on commodities Mrs J. J Q P P. P asks The answer to that is found in the bill itself It states that the prices between the first of October and the of of October October 1941 are to serve as the basis for fixing of maximum maximum maximum maxi maxi- mum prices Fishery and farm prices are arc the exceptions Before a maximum would be placed on commodities commodities commodities com com- prices could go to per percent percent cent of what they were during the i 15 days in October 1941 before the lid would be put on by OPA boss Henderson If prices during the period period period pe pe- mentioned were not representative representative representative represent prices the nearest to representative representative representative two week period will be used If the Missus remembers what rh h d f o nyo articles c f durin yonO g f the two hun s e poi pu AW u CA W b weeks in October 41 she will be beable beable beable able generally speaking to get an idea of what she will pay even if the prices are allowed to go to the per cent level which is 10 per percent percent percent cent above the full price charged It should be remembered though that the ceilings placed on commodities ties will be mostly on raw unfinished unfinished unfinished materials Price Administrator Henderson in ina a recent statement said that the i application of price ceilings all depended depended depended de de- de- de on just how all the Mrs 1 I J. J Q Publics throughout the United States reacted to it If they took I the price control in an intelligent way as he suspects they will and didn't try to gobble up those commodities commodities commodities com com- they thought were going to tobe tobe tobe be scarce there would be no need to put a top price on the article Calm cool and collected seems to be the attitude they should take The bill also has a provision in it that checks a too-great too rise in rents This provision applies only to areas designated by the OPA as being in hi defense housing sections of the country where a boom could have taken place If you are living in one of such designated sections rents since April 1 1941 will be bethe bethe bethe the guide for OP OPA A officials to put the top permissible price Over surveys surveys surveys sur sur- veys have been conducted in such defense areas by officials under Henderson to get the rental prices in those areas so that there wont won't be beany beany beany any undue hardship on renters Despite this being war-time war in the United States there will be be-as be as always always al al- al- al ways ways- ways those those who will try to circumvent circumvent circumvent circum circum- vent and chisel on the price control plan Mrs Public might call them war profiteers To punish such who violate price ceilings the control bill carries some stiff provisions imprisonment imprisonment imprisonment im im- im- im for two years and fines up to Purchasers Can Sue An individual who figures he or she has been charged more than what the price ceilings stipulated can sue the person or persons from whom the purchases were made for either triple damages or 50 de 50 de depending pending on whatever might be larger A very important provision of the bill is that it exempts wages and salaries No ceilings have been placed on them It must be remembered remembered remembered re re- re- re though that wages increase in increase increase in- in crease to an extent because the price of commodities rise All who work for a salary pr a wage want to be sure that what they earn will win buy enough to live on according to toa toa toa a decent standard of living Also exempted were insurance and professional fees railroads and utilities newspapers and periodicals radio motion pictures and theaters Even though nothing ry will be done by price control officials of- of officials officials of of- in extending the price ceiling over other commodities besides the 80 or so now covered the placing of ceilings will continue little by little putting one here and there on various various various vari vari- ous commodities whenever an inflationary inflationary trend is noted For example Store owners selling typewriters or radios or electric ironers having very little chance of getting more for sale in their stores will naturally boost the prices on those they have on hand It is such cases that will bring about a price control top price to be charged on that com com- Eventually all businesses operating operating operating ing under a price ceiling will have to get a license to do business OP OPA A officials have not decided on what type of license machinery to put into operation as permitted by the price control bill A seller of commodities commodities commodities com com- operating under such a license license li license li- li cense can have his license revoked if he persists in defying the provi- provi f f 11 11 nl N b h v wt i 4 n n lV o VI se ing a ove perms a CU up op prices Of course such a revoking of license comes through court procedure procedure procedure pro pro- and only u upon on a second o offense offense of of- following a warning given upon upon upon up up- on a first offense As the list of commodities under the price control plan lengthens your local newspapers the radio and periodicals will tell you what the recently added ones are The complexity of the world has been the cause of such a far reaching reaching reaching reach reach- ing bill as that of the price control being passed But it should always be remembered that a successful completion of the war we are now in hi requires there be no inflation And after the successful American completion completion completion com com- of the war there must be a minimum of war post-war deflation so as asto asto asto to win the peace that follows |