HLU Slaps Poster Sabotage, Hears Ex-OPA Chief Speak

Return of rationing and price control was urged by Leon Henderson, wartime OPA Administrator and present chairman of the Americans For Democratic Action last night in Emerson Hall, under Liberal Union sponsorship. His speech was entitled "A Liberal Program Against Inflation."

Henderson added that rationing could take effect within two months, price control "almost overnight." Any time a government wants to fix prices or groups of prices and make it stick, it can get reasonable control.

Upon the death of the OPA, he said, the National Association of Manufacturers claimed that free competition through the natural law of supply and demand would bring down the prices to where the people would be willing to pay.

Price Rises Quoted

45 percent increase in cost of food, rise of 27 percent in wholesale prices, total cost of living up 25 percent; all these since price controls were lifted--this was Henderson's answer to the NAM statement.

Attacking some of the "conservative" advisers in the Truman administration, his special target was Clinton Anderson, Secretary of Agriculture. Also under his fire were W. Averill Harriman, Secretary of Commerce, and John Snyder, Secretary of the Treasury.