WAR ON INFLATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 April 1943, Page 5

WAR ON INFLATION

MR. ROOSEVELT’S DECREE

WAGES AND PRICES FIXED

WASHINGTON, April 9. Taking steps to combat inflation, Mr Roosevelt has issued an executive order placing price ceilings on all commodities affecting the cost of living, and forbidding further increases in wages and salaries, as well as changing jobs to obtain higher pay. The order asserts that price increases will not be sanctioned unless they are imperatively required by law. Wages will not be raised unless they are clearly necessary to correct low standards of living. The President called on Congress to impose higher taxes to reduce excess purchasing power, also to refrain from passing legislation requiring further price increases. The “New York Times’s” Washington correspondent says that the President’s action will probably bring a showdown between the Administration and Mr. John Lewis, who is now demanding a two dollar daily increase for half a million coalminers. , . . The United States Food Administrator (Mr Chester Davis) told a Press conference that 35,000,000,000 dollars of surplus spending power must be recaptured by the Government to enable the present price and wage controls to combat inflation effectively. Mr Davis recommended higher taxes and sharply increased investments in war bonds to relieve the strain of too much purchasing power on the declining volume oi consumer goods. “This is no 10 per cent, war,” said Mr Davis.

PEACE ORGANISATION

WASHINGTON, April 7. Addressing the Institute of Pacific Relations at a luncheon, Mr Sumner Welles said; “World peace can come only through global organisation, in which the United States must play a definite part, even to the maintenance of peace by force. Pious generalities and phrases are insufficient. We are looking ahead to the realisation of a great vision, the kind ol world in which all persons can live in peace, security and freedom from fear. This can be achieved only if there is some type of practical world organisation, and the United States accepts her full share of responsibility. Ido not mean a nominal share, but rather a share in sacrifices and in the maintenance of peace by force.”

MR. WILLKIE AND AUSTRALIA

(Rec. 11.30) NEW YORK. April 9. Mr. Willkie will accept the Aus-tralian-American. Co-operation Move- ■ ment’s invitation, to visit Australia, if the State Department permits. Mr. Willkie said he would gladly go to Australia if he can be helpful and if the Government consents. “It is important for the future welfare of our country that closG relationship be cemented between the peoples of the two countries. I will suggest to the Australians, who invited me. that they make application to our Government for the necessary permission.”

NEW YORK’S MAYOR

WASHINGTON, April 8. “Mr Fiorello La Guardia has offered his services to the armed forces, but it is difficult to find any place in the army where he could be as helpful as in his position of Mayor of New York, where he is rendering, directly to New York and indirectly to the nation, the most valuable services,” said the Secretary of War (Mr Stimson) at a Press conference.

AERIAL TAXIS

NSW YORK, April 9

Mr Samuel Solomon, President of the North-east Air Lines, said he looked forward, to a helicopter taxi service, which would pick up groups of businessmen from the roofs oi their offices in Boston and deposit them on the office roofs in New York. He disclosed plans for the use ol helicopters after the war for conveying mail and passengers from city rooftops to aeiodromes as an aerial taxi service. He said that, as an initial step, he had filed to-day with the Civil Aeronautics Board an application for.a helicopter service,” for the carrying of air mail and express freight between the rooftops of four hundred post offices and railway stations in six New England States and in New York.” Mr Solomon said th? service would operate not only between cities and towns, but also from congested urban areas to airports. He. added that the helicopter had tremendous possibilities. He envisioned a machine carrying . twenty passengers.