Letter from Max Siskind to President Harry S. Truman

CABLE ADDRESS "KINDMAX" 2 s 5 - MAX SKIN ATTORNEY AT LAW 130 WEST STREET 28. NEW YORK 18,N.Y. - missed CHICKERING 4-5444 Booles February 4th 1946 Con-S Honorable Harry S. Truman The Whi te House Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. President: The writer sincerely hopes that nothing said by radio commentators over the weekend will interfere wi th your intentions, if current reports are correct, to grant to the steel producers a rise in price sufficient to cover increased labor costs. There is no doubt that the material used by these commentators emanates from officials high in the Office of Price Administration, who are frantic and becoming more so every day. These are persons who wish to perpetuate their positions with the government, through continuing a scarcity of merchandise, for which they must assume sole responsibility, since the war effort is no longer a factor. The writer respectfully suggests that instead of these O.P.A. officials wasting so much time with 2 propoganda, they read the Stabilization Act of 1942, wherein they will find conclusive proof that wages, as well as prices, can effect the cost of living. Since VJ Day everyone, including most agencies of the government, have been busy at reconversion, except for O.P.A. The writer respectfully suggests that O.P.A. and its thinking must be reconverted before our country can reconvert. A very small rise in prices can only result in allowing present manufacturers a sufficient margin of profit to cover either the higher cost of raw materials, or the higher demands of labor. Once the manufacturer has this margin, he can pay the higher cost of material and the increased wage demands of labor get rolling and turn out the production necessary for the normal economy of our times. The industries of this country have the necessary facilities to go full steam ahead, if given half S a chance. Your power should be utilized so that industry