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<br />1945
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<br />CONGRESSIO~AL RECORD-APPENDIX
<br />
<br />A5117
<br />
<br />cent sUbject." The Ni:w Orleans States
<br />called It "absorbing reason" and used
<br />the words "shrewd, skJ1lful, and lasei-
<br />nlltlnl1:." The New Orleans Item de-
<br />clared that Mr. Kane revell'!d pleasur-
<br />ably In Plantation Paradl.'. writing wHh
<br />a I;u~to well nigh Irresistible.
<br />
<br />Office or Price Adm.inisuation Hinders
<br />Reconversion to Peacetime Economy
<br />
<br />E.TfENsroN OF REMARKS
<br />o.
<br />
<br />HON, WILLIAM A, PITTENGER
<br />
<br />01' NINla3Ot"A
<br />
<br />IN THE HOUSE OF REPlU;<3ENTATIVES
<br />WedJltsday, Not'ember 7, 1915
<br />Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, there
<br />aTC a number of thing!; which hinder a
<br />return from wartime economy to II
<br />peacetime economy. I say "thmgs" bf"-
<br />cause in my opinion that Is jusL about
<br />the rIght designation of the Office of
<br />Price Administratlon. It falls far short
<br />of being CH'n an excuse for a going Gov-
<br />ernmf'nt agency. We need price con.
<br />trols. but misfortune hILi coml' to the
<br />American people e\'ery time the Office of
<br />Price Administration ha.<; mi:'c:ed Into
<br />things. During the war, it follo.....ed the
<br />doctrine of scarcity and refused to per.
<br />mtt food producers to mak:e a profit 01\
<br />livestock or other food products, As a
<br />result, people quit producing food and
<br />everybody k.noll's that you could not get
<br />meat and other foods on account of this
<br />wrong policy,
<br />Now that the war Is over the Office of
<br />Price Administration pr-rsists In making
<br />one mistake aftf'r anothel'. One of our
<br />colleagues chanced to remark the other
<br />day that the greatest factor and obstacle
<br />In getting a return to peacetime produc-
<br />tion of almost everything Wll.<; the OPA,
<br />He pointed out that OPA refu.<;ed to per-
<br />mit a price ceillng, so that goods could
<br />be manufactured at a profit. As a re-
<br />sult industry has no inc('nt!ve to go
<br />ahead, Ncither has small business, So
<br />,thE'Y just simply are not producing.
<br />Thl.s muns unemployment and the peo.
<br />pIc who are going to bl" looking for jobs
<br />next ~'ear lust as well make up their
<br />minds now that OPA Is doing and wilJ
<br />continue to do ever).thing it can to pre-
<br />"ent any new industry. which means
<br />lack of jobs and unemployment, and to
<br />cripple exbtillg busln~s and 1ndustr~'.
<br />That also means lack of jobs and unem.
<br />plo~.m('nt. Of course. this OPA outfit
<br />will claim that It Is a friend of the work-
<br />ingmen. but the facl'; are that it is his
<br />worst enemy and when we have bread-
<br />lines. we can charge a good long part or
<br />the procession up to OPA and its false
<br />economy Ideas.
<br />Il:MALL l'\.'&1:-<&6$ CO>U<lITT1:ll: HL\.I.1:iO
<br />I call to the att.enlion of the House of
<br />RepfE'sentatlves a "en' Important hear-
<br />tng that will start tomorrow morning
<br />and which will be conducted by the Small
<br />BusIness Committee of the House of
<br />RepresentaUves. I expect to be present
<br />at that hearing and pre,<.ent the vIews
<br />of automoblle and truck dealers In north.
<br />ern Minnesota. Many o! them have
<br />
<br />either wired or written me requesting
<br />thl.s procedure.
<br />This situation Is brought about by a
<br />notice that OPA oMclats served on the
<br />AutomobJle Dealers' Industry Advl~ory
<br />Committee on October 31. We all know
<br />that the manufacturers of automobiles
<br />want to increase the seJlJng price. I do
<br />not Question that rh:ht. But I do Ques-
<br />tfon the wisdom of OPA officials' state-
<br />ment to the Ad,'lsory Committee to the
<br />{.ffect that small business dealers
<br />throuRhout the country \A'ould have to
<br />absorb that Increase in price which the
<br />automobile manufacturers were gOing to
<br />charge the small dt'alers throughout the
<br />rountrv who handle the retail end of till'
<br />selllng' of Il.utomobl!es and trucks, As I
<br />underMand OPA officials' plan. the
<br />amount of discount to which the dulers
<br />weC!.' entitled, when they paid the manu-
<br />lacturer for the a\ltomoblles would be
<br />reduced to the extent of the Increased
<br />price of the automobiles. This Is just a
<br />slmpl(' way of saying that the dealers'
<br />profits on the retall sale of automobiles
<br />would be diminished to that extent. That
<br />Is a tine bit of demagoguery to hand out
<br />to the purchasers of automobiles, because
<br />OPA will tell the purchaser that the price
<br />of automobiles and trucks to the publlc
<br />has not Inereased.
<br />J'ltIVATJ:EN1'UPlI.1lI11:u:5TBON"PItOnT
<br />This propo~ed polley of OPA omcla1.s
<br />rllns: directly contrary to the funda-
<br />mental princJple that private enterprise
<br />1s based on, the making of a profit. It
<br />Is no crime 1n this country to engage in
<br />bu.~in('ss wlth the hope of being paid
<br />for your services and )'our time. In the
<br />lanlimage of the street. this Is what is
<br />known as making a llttle money. That
<br />Is why people engage In a business entfor-
<br />prj~e and hire people to work for them
<br />and rreate pay rolls and create jobs.
<br />It doem.t make sense to say that deal.
<br />InR In automobiles has to depend on love
<br />or hot air or some other Intangible prod-
<br />uct of OPA Imagination In order to make
<br />a Jl~'ing. If the dealer In automobiles
<br />and trucks cannot sell that merchandise
<br />at a profit. 11e will not ha"e any monfY
<br />to pay rental for the store bu!ldlm:: he
<br />occupies. or to pay automobile salesmen.
<br />or to pay his taxes. or to pay the grocery
<br />bills at the end of the month in order
<br />that Ills ftlmn~. can Ih'e and eat. I am
<br />sure that the OPA ne"('r heard of this
<br />kind of a thing whIch Is popularly deslll'-
<br />nated as the American sy5tem of ptl\'8te
<br />enterprj5('.
<br />NA,TlONAL A,OTo>fOBILE D&A.LI:as """,,OCUTlON
<br />1"aOTEs1' A,CTI0:-< 0.. OPA
<br />
<br />I"aturaIly the SaUonal Automobile
<br />Dealf'rs A5..~lalion j<; oppo~rl to till'
<br />OPA program. So are the various people
<br />In my district who are engaged In the
<br />retall buslness of selllng automobfIes
<br />and trucks. I have a telegram from
<br />Art. 1.. Mattson. president. Automobile
<br />and Truck Dealers Assoclal!on of Vir-
<br />ginia. Minn.. tn which he sa)'s In part:
<br />Any t&mp~rlng With tJ'Bdlttonal dlacount
<br />....ould seriously jl'Opardlze our tuture ~x!st-
<br />en<:B lI.ll deal~l1I, By reason the public and
<br />our fBctorle& tor many years put have H~
<br />atlmdards of sen'lce expe-<:ted. makIng It lm-
<br />pD*Illbl~ to do b1l.Slneu. on a smaller discount.
<br />If OPA Imposts lmpoulble cut In discount,
<br />It will rtllUlt In complete break.down In auto-
<br />mobile ltll1 nU(lI: tn.IUIportaUoo..
<br />
<br />I ha\'e numerous other telegrams to
<br />the same e!feet and It would make the
<br />record enUrely too long to set forth those
<br />different telegrams at this point. How-
<br />e"er.1f they are avallabh'ln my omce for
<br />,examination b~' the Small Business Com-
<br />mfltee If it so de~lres.
<br />
<br />Demobiliution
<br />
<br />EXTE.."lSION OF RE~f.'\RKS
<br />o.
<br />
<br />HON, WESLEY A, D'EWART
<br />
<br />O,....ON1'ANA
<br />t:~ THE HOUSE OF REPRE.SE",'TATnrES
<br />lV.'dllesdall, NOl'emba 7. 1915
<br />Mr, D'l.'WART. Mr. Speaker, under
<br />lea\'e to extend my remarks In the REC_
<br />ORD, I Include the following letter from
<br />Helena, Mont,:
<br />CongreKlnan WI:S~n' O'EWAIIT.
<br />O~"I'O..E..rN"; Wlll you pl~au nplaln t<) mil
<br />why thf! Montana Repruf!ntali"ea In Con.
<br />g"CSllar..m"klng noell'o"t In lny ....ay what.
<br />s.oever to brIng thf! Montana boya still over-
<br />se.. back home no....?
<br />t have two own. who ha"e h<>en over5Plls
<br />sInce 1"\ Mar<:h. one In Okinawa and one III
<br />Burma: \h..y Were both turced to Inve colle!,:e
<br />\0 go Into the service, both art' elltr~mely
<br />arutloua to get back home. ... I am. and baclc
<br />Into achool... they have every right to do.
<br />It crrtalnly II mUch more ImpOrlant for a
<br />young mBn to get back to I<:hool and fl.nl~h
<br />hill l'ducaUon than It Is tor hIm to be dll-
<br />charg1!<1 from th" service In order to came
<br />hllCkand play football tor hlla<:hool. I rerer
<br />to the football plal'c" trom Gr<>rgla. whom {he
<br />Senuor from Oeorgla \A'as able to have dls.
<br />charg1!<111Q h~ <:ould come back and play,
<br />Not only are these boya beIng krpt OV~r.
<br />,",a. unnecUIIlrlly bUt the condltlona und~r
<br />whIch \hey are Itvlng. th" tood which. they
<br />an getting. particularly In Oklna....a. are
<br />worse now than they eVer w..re during the
<br />war. My 50n In Okinawa wrl\eB me M
<br />followa:
<br />"We Il~t '<'ery little mall. '1'0'.. bear bow eaay
<br />It 1JI for \he fellowl In Ibe States to get dll'
<br />chargO'S on low.polnt scores when we can't
<br />e"en get to thc StUM. """ hear about \hc
<br />strlke8. the 111.000 unemployed VPleulUI. We
<br />don't get de-cent tood, . . . We t....1
<br />Itun the people at homc don.t give a damn
<br />about US. that we are forgoUen whlla you
<br />people no longer have wartime restrIctions
<br />placed on your pleaaurell or rights, It was
<br />flne for the good old UnUed Sta\e8 ot Amerl<:llo
<br />to shIp UIl out here when w.. ......re lIecodPd_
<br />now that you ha"" no more UH tor ullf!a,'e
<br />UI OUt here,"
<br />Itow would you men enjoy lolng thtoullh
<br />one typhoon aHer another, espe<:lally one
<br />Ilke the IMt horrible typhoon wblch bit Okl_
<br />lIa....a In early Octo~r. In which many or our
<br />boys were aertoualy Injured. somf! losIng their
<br />llT.... and all or them lOlling everythIng th~y
<br />bad? I~ Is nothing short ot criminal for
<br />the OO\'ernment. and Conzrus In PUtl<:ular.
<br />\0 k~p our SOna over th..re now ~hat the
<br />war 11 o'Oer, Why areo't any ot you doIng
<br />your part and ttghtlng to ha"e Congresa de.
<br />clar.. th.. war over. and dl'mandlng that OUr
<br />boy:a be brought back] I want mv lIOlla home
<br />and back In echool. they want the aame
<br />thing. and /Lre enUtloc to It,
<br />How dare you men sit back In Washington
<br />tigurlngoutwa)'8andmesr..:ltolllcre.B.se)-our
<br />lalarlrs 100 percent, "ylng the ...orll: you ere
<br />doing tor your constltuentll JU5IUl.!Il!l the In_
<br />crease. when you arc net doing one thing
<br />to gct our boya back home. which Ia mote
<br />Important \0 your conaUtuenb than an)'.
<br />thing else could. posalbly bet And. DO doUbt
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