General maximum price regulations issued by the office of price administration in Washington will be adhered to as closely as possible in Hawaii, according to a statement today by the office of the military governor.
The statement said the matter is being studied by the offices of the military governor and announcement will be made soon.
Provisions of the order were released today by Leslie A. Hicks, president of the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce, and confirmation of its application to Hawaii was given in a radiogram received by the Hawaii Sugar Planters’ association by Ernest W. Green, HSPA vice president and Washington representative.
Under the OPA order, beginning May 11 no wholesaler may charge for his commodities or services, with certain exceptions, more than the highest March levels for each seller.
Beginning May 18, no retailer may charge for his commodities or services, with a few exceptions, more than the highest levels which each individual seller charged during March.
Beginning July 1, no one may charge more for services sold at retail in connection with a commodity than he charged during March.
Prices on literally millions of articles of all sorts are, by the regulation, automatically controlled. Prices on relatively few products are exempt.
The sweeping regulation was announced by Leon Henderson, price administrator, following President Roosevelt’s call for decisive action to halt the swiftly mounting cost of living.
The order sets the highest prices charged in March as an absolute ceiling over virtually everything that Americans eat, wear and use. The only exemptions are a limited list of food commodities.
Terms of the order further call for OPA licensing of each retailer and wholesaler.
