Price Lid

"We have our teeth in the cost of living and we are going to hold on like a bull pup," said OPA's plough-chinned Chester Bowles, giving notice that he means to hold prices close to 1942 levels. At the same time he promised to "hold down the cost of food, clothing and rent . . . establish far more effective controls in building materials and house construction . . . see to it that more low-priced women's and children's clothing comes on the market at easy-to-understand, ceiling prices."

To prove it, he firmly tied down the prices of new washing machines, ironers, and aluminum kitchenware. He told manufacturers of the laundry items that they could charge their dealers 5% over 1942's prices to defray higher manufacturing costs. But, he added, distributors could not pass the increases on to consumers.

Manufacturers protested. They claimed that they needed at least a 15% hike in prices to cover higher labor and raw-material costs. Distributors squawked that they would be squeezed out of business.

Chet Bowles was not only unmoved, but he forthwith tackled the biggest price problem of all. He bluntly gave automakers an invidious choice: sell their cars at the straight 1942-model prices or at the lower 1941 prices plus a percentage for added costs (which would not bring them much above the 1942 prices).

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