Holding the Line

Not many in the Dominion were aware of it, but last week was an important milestone for Canadians--the third anniversary of rigid, overall price control.

Canada's cost-of-living index last week stood at 118.6 (the 1935-39 average was taken as 100). This was only 3.1 points higher than on Dec. 1, 1941. (In the U.S., living costs are up 29-30% since 1941; in Britain, up 30% since 1939.) So well had Canada's fight against wartime inflation been managed that the index showed a .7 decline in the last year.

The Canadian people could claim a share of the credit. They had dug deep into their jeans to pay boosted income taxes, to buy victory bonds. Canada's tough, able Price Policeman Donald Gordon did the rest. Among other things, he poured out subsidies (to bridge the gap between fixed prices and rising costs) at a $140,000,000-a-year clip.

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