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Show Price Control Problems Enliven Inflation Threat Three Distinct Groups Hold Up Definite Action; U. S. Farm 'Bloc' Is Often Confused Con-fused With Farmer's Organizations. rami lit K-- m By BAUKHAGE National Farm and Home Uour Commentator. WXU Service, 1343 H Street, N-W, Washington, D. C. There are three distinct groups in Washington all pulling in different , directions at price control legislation. legisla-tion. There is a group which be- j lieves with Bernard Baruch that a ceiling must be put on all prices and I wages. There is a group, represent-' ed by Leon Henderson, price control con-trol administrator, which believes that only those prices which show signs of getting out of hand should be controlled. There is a third group in congress which simply refuses re-fuses to take any action. These latter lat-ter are the ones who are responsible responsi-ble for delaying consideration of the present bill which is widely criticized by many in all three groups. The result of these conflicting groups is a growing fear that inflation infla-tion which cannot be checked will be upon us before we know it For a while it was thought that the administration might follow Canada's plan of price control which is soon to be put into effect. First, Canada tried a piece-meal method, symilar in some respects to Mr. Henderson's ideas. Then, inasmuch in-asmuch as this did not work satisfactorily, satis-factorily, "ceilings" on both prices and wages were written into a new plan which more nearly resembles that supported by Mr. Baruch's followers. fol-lowers. Details of Britain's price control policy were recently reported by officials of-ficials here and they reveal some interesting theories of particular interest in-terest now. This policy may explain why it is being said that some people peo-ple in Washington believe "a little inflation is a good thing," in spite of the dire warnings as to what will happen if price rises are not checked immediately. British 'Bidding' System The British, it seems, have come to the conclusion that freezing prices and wages and profits just do not go hand-in-hand with a maximum war effort in a democracy. They say frankly, "You have to bid for a maximum war effort." In other words, you have to permit the work- formed in 1921 by members from agricultural states, to secure agricultural agricul-tural legislation, irrespective of party lines." By the definition, a bloc is composed com-posed of members of congress, but many people when they use the word include the farm organizations I which maintain their offices in j Washington. The Grange, the Farm, j Bureau Federation and the Farmers' Farm-ers' Union. Like the United States 1 Chamber of Commerce, the Congress Con-gress of Industrial Organization and the American Federation of Labor, the agricultural organizations organiza-tions are pressure groups lobbies, if you will. 'Bloc9 and Politics There is a reason why the bloc can, and sometimes is, more likely ! to be an evil force than the organi-1 organi-1 zation. The bloc composed of poli- ticians who must have votes at the next election try to out-promise their political opponents. Therefore, : they will promise to vote for special legislation and even vote for it as it is brought up. But sometimes their real purpose is not to get a certain law passed but rather to promise it and work for it until they themselves are elected. The need for the farm organizations organiza-tions did not appear at the beginning begin-ning of the nation. When representation represen-tation in congress was established on a geographical basis this was an ; agricultural nation. Each farm was a unit which to a large extent represented rep-resented a cross-section of the nation's na-tion's economic activity and interest. inter-est. Then conditions changed, cities and industrial centers grew up whose problems were entirely different dif-ferent from the economic interests of the farmer. At first the result was rebellion small revolts but significant sig-nificant ones; the Whiskey rebellion, rebel-lion, Shays' rebellion, attempts by force to obtain recognition of the rights of special groups. Finally, the farm organizations came into being. At first their chief objective was to obtain public school and agricultural agri-cultural education. This movement was the beginning of the department of agriculture, the land grant colleges, the state agricultural ag-ricultural ' institutions. Gradually, these organizations began to give more and more time to promoting the farmer's interests by obtaining state and federal legislation for his benefit. Of course, some of the methods of these groups can be anti-democratic. We frequently hear more about them than about the honest effort, and sometimes not until much harm has been done. That is why Secre- tary Wickard says that "each group ! must operate tolerantly, and above i all openly and frankly, not through stealth and concealment." Carrying the Mail! man to get bigger wages, you have to give the farmer higher prices, you have to offer industry a bigger profit, if you expect a maximum effort ef-fort in the machine shop, in the field and orchard, behind the desk. Therefore, you have to follow a certain cer-tain amount of elasticity in prices and wages and that means a certain amount of inflation. Equally frankly the British have evolved this maxim: Building morale mo-rale is just as important as checking inflation. You can give the workman work-man certain social advantages to improve his morale, you can remove re-move some of the business man's restrictions but you must also bid for their services with something more material money. When full war production is fully achieved, when every human unit and every piece of material which is not actually needed for the minimum mini-mum non-defense production is at last being utilized in the war effort, then prices can be frozen, the British Brit-ish believe, and not before. It is perhaps this philosophy which some of the administration leaders have borrowed and which eventually eventual-ly will be adopted by congress if it is not too late by the time congress con-gress makes up its mind to act. 'Farm Bloc' And Inflation In the next few weeks you are going to hear some unpleasant things about the farmer. He is going to be blamed, whether justly or not, for encouraging inflation by refusing refus-ing to allow farm prices to be curbed sufficiently to hold off inflation. infla-tion. In this connection you are going go-ing to hear the term "farm bloc" applied to all the interests working rightly or wrongly for the farmer. This inclusive use of the phrase is incorrect. A bloc, according tc the dictionary, is: "Bloc, (French, bloc or lump) 1. Politics (a) in European countries, especially in France and Italy (this was before Mussolini and Pe-tain, Pe-tain, of course) a combination of two or more groups or parties willing will-ing to make common cause for some definite object. (b) In the United States, a combination of members of different parties for a similar purpose, pur-pose, especially in congress; as the agricultural or farm bloc, a bloc in the United States congress r x A navy mail clerk on a trip to the local post office to pick up mail for officers and men serving on his station. It is in this manner that officers and men on shore obtain mail from their families, siveethearts and friends, as well as from official sources. The crossed quills and three stripes on the rating badge above this sailor's elbow indicate that he is a Yeomant first I class, while the service stripes near the wrist indicate that he has served four uhitches" or a total of over 16 years in the navy. j |