Nobody's Baby

OPA Boss Paul Porter wanted to call it the Office for the Cessation of Rationing and Priorities--"OCRAP," for short. He was overruled. But there would be a catch-all agency to clean up the work left undone by the expiring wartime agencies, and its probable name would be the Office of Rents and Priorities. Phonetically, at least. ORP seemed as good a handle as any.

The executive order setting it up was flown to Harry Truman's Florida playland last week with OWMR Boss John R. Steelman. When the President signed it, OPA's remaining 34,736 employes (peak, 63,428) and its controls over rent, rice and sugar would be absorbed by the newcomer.

Also absorbed would be the 3,500-man Civilian Production Administration, with its building-material controls, and the Contract Settlement Administration. They were sinking fast. Their top men were leaving.

The topmost was OPA's Porter, whose resignation was on the President's desk, and who expected his release this week. After so much pushing around, Price-Holder Porter wanted a long rest, and no thoughts of jobs in the immediate future--even if they included an offer of the Presidency of Broadcast Music, Inc., the rival to A.S.C.A.P.

CPA's tough, energetic Jack Small was anxious to get moving (possibly to the board chairmanship of 20th Century-Fox), but felt there was still much he could do for the Government. Steelman's office agreed by suggesting that if Small were appointed acting head of ORP, the agency to end controls could get going promptly.

But neither Small nor anyone else was angling very hard for the job--an attitude which everyone could understand.

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