Show 1 A The Jl Taw R 4 in WASHINGTON F By Walter Watter Shead T Corresponds en Washington Bureau 1616 lUIS Ere Eyt St. St N If W. W Little People Protest Crippling of OPA OP A AM M TV EMB EMBERS RS of congress ss are now no l J reaping a whirlwind of mail from constituents condemning ac ac- action action ac- ac action tion of the house in passage of the bill crippling OPA so badly that it cannot survive Members of the senate now considering the measure are receiving mail in a ratio of about is 5 to 1 urging that body to correct the house action and to ex ex- extend extend extend tend CPA OPA OP A another year without crippling amendments Probably the most bitter denunciation denunciation denunciation of the house action comes from the Army Times national weekly newspaper for the United States army giving congress something to think about For this paper gives the stand of the fifteen million re returning re- re returning returning turning veterans on this important issue of continued government con con- control control control of prices and critical materials The Army Times says Afraid to dare public wrath by voting against such postwar necessities as emergency housing for veterans extension of the draft act and con con- continuation continuation of price control the mem mem- members members members bers of the house have adopted a pattern of cutting the heart out of the laws and aDd leaving leaving- only a skeleton and a tombstone bearing the origl- origl original original nal Dal name Then after alter destroying the effectiveness of the laws they vote a a resounding aye ostensibly to provide pr vide emergency housing ex ex- extension extension extension tension of the draft and continuation continuation of price control Actually however most of those congressmen voted against veter veter- veterans veterans veterans ans housing against extension of the draft and against continuation of price control Nevertheless on the record they can go before the electorate this fall and Insist that they voted on such legislation They are hypocrites at heart Inflationary Danger The newspaper further furher warned that extension of the OPA price pric con con- control control control for at least another year ano 1 r is the only way in which this country can bypass a wild wil Inflationary period and that end of price control now would make a mockery of the pay raise now pending for the armed services it would devalue terminal leave pay for enlisted men de de- decrease decrease de- de decrease crease the value of out mustering-out pay void the worth of a possible early bonus and engulf the civilian wages of newly returned veterans Accusing both Democrats and Re Re- Republicans Republicans Republicans publicans Army Times placed the major blame on the GOP which it said is seeking to capitalize on the petty discomforts which all of ofus ofus ofus us suffered during four years of OPA CPA control It is a vicious and stupid at at- attempt attempt attempt tempt to gain power at the cost of the little people the guys who make up America the workers the veterans the masses Weve We've all railed at OPA CPA the editorial says weve cussed it for everything Still in the long run it would be hard to find an American family of low or moderate means that wouldn't vote to continue price con con- control control control if the vote was theirs Unfortunately however they delegated their vote to a bunch of iob seeking job seeking politicians who now prove themselves to be representatives tives not of the people but of pow pow- er-conscious er political machines and mercenary and aDd selfish interests And this reporter would like to point out that during consideration of the fuU employment bill certain senators senator led by Senator Taft of Ohio declared it to be the policy of the government that they could not guarantee anybody anything in the economic field particularly employ employ- ment Protect Dealers They were very careful however to place in the CPA OPA OP A bill an amend amend- amendment amendment amendment ment which guarantees to manufacturers manufacturers manufacturers and dealers a profit on each item of manufacture and prohibits the OPA from requiring wholesalers ers and retailers from absorbing part of the higher costs If government government-as as a matter of pol pol- policy policy policy icy cannot guarantee jobs for work work- workers workers workers ers then how can it guarantee profits for tor industry It may be that the senate will eliminate these two fea fea- features features features tures of the CPA OPA OP A bill as it passed the house although opposition to OPA CPA in both house and senate would like to see the bill so loaded down with inequities and so impossible of administration that the President would be forced to veto the meas meas- measure measure measure ure then they could pass the onus on to him as they have done in the draft extension bill Many business men are now be be- becoming becoming becoming coming alarmed at the inflationary features of the house CPA OPA OP A bill They foresee disruptions of their budgets for operations Their buying prices getting out of hand and their wage costs unstable As a n result of this chaos they see a continued shortage on commodities instead of full pro- pro production production production as predicted by the National of Man Man- The N. N A. A M. M is flatly contradicted by Frank president pres pres- presIdent ident of the American Bankers' Bankers as as- sedation He does not believe high high- higher er prices would boost production |