Picking Up Speed

After the overhauling of WPB and the appointment of Economic Czar James F. Byrnes as a new skipper of the war effort, now came the great test period in Washington. This was the time for the agencies to go through their shakedown cruises, pick up speed, show what they could do. Into their logs last week went these entries:

> Czar Byrnes held the first meeting of his Economic Stabilization Board, left its members with a feeling that here at last was a chance to bring order out of past disputes over inflation. It was clear that the board will be a one-man show: Jimmy Byrnes will call on his members for technical advice in their own fields, but the decisions will be his.

> WPB's new vice chairman and great white hope, Charles Edward Wilson, prepared to take over the entire aircraft-production program, long beset by divided authorities and indecisive top men.

> Leon Henderson's OPA set out to revise some of its hastily imposed price ceilings which had been found out of line with economic realities.

> The War Labor Board had the busiest week of all. It gave a $1-a-day raise to copper, and zinc miners in the western States--the only way to keep them from moving to better-paid industries. But it turned down the demand of Ford's 115,000 C.I.O. workers for another $1 a day--allaying the fears of some businessmen and economists that the board would always find an excuse to raise pay. And at week's end it took a firm stand against strikes, by unanimous action of its industry, labor and public representatives. The board promised to find out who was responsible for work stoppages--whether labor or management--and will presumably muster the full force of public opinion against them.

Such were the acts of the war agencies last week. In addition, many an observer thought he noted a new mood of earnestness, good sense and cooperation beginning to pervade the nation's capital. If the people had begun to deserve a better Government, they were at last beginning to get it.

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