Hatchet Work

While manufacturers and meat packers howled for OPA's scalp (see NATIONAL AFFAIRS), OP A picked up its own tomahawk and hacked hard at the list of items under price control.

In the most extensive decontrol action yet taken, OPA suspended ceilings on: 1) $3,000,000,000 worth of industrial equipment out of some $15,000,000,000 to be produced this year; 2) several hundred consumer items of minor importance to the cost of living. Examples: fly swatters, locomotives, subway cars, flowerpots, turbines, soda fountains, dredges, cuff buttons, gaskets (a misprint in the Associated Press story touched off premature celebrations by U.S. casket makers).

In general, ceilings were suspended rather than removed. One exception was cosmetics, which were finally exempted from price control. If there is an inflationary rise in prices, ceilings will be promptly slapped on again. Still under price control after OPA's ax-work: 1) 85% of all food items; 2) 80% of all industrial machinery and capital goods; 3) 95 to 98% of all consumer goods (in dollar value).

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