Henderson Proposes

In a parting shot as U.S. Price Czar, Leon Henderson last week tossed up a smart-sounding plan to siphon loose cash from U.S. citizens, thus help control inflation. The scheme: a buy-in-advance arrangement to sell purchase certificates now on consumer goods to be delivered after the war.

Sold on the installment basis, the certificates would apply to automobiles, air conditioners, household appliances and even airplane tickets. All deals would be on a first-come-first-served basis with early certificate buyers getting first chance at post-war products.

Soldiers & sailors would get special priorities, could do their shopping from the trenches through personnel officers and chaplains. As an added attraction, all buyers would get a 10% bonus (in merchandise) when the certificates were turned in.

There may be difficulties in working out such a plan, and nobody knows how many U.S. citizens would gamble hard cash now for an unseen item with an unspecified delivery date. But Henderson hopes it would wangle enough cash from U.S. citizens in 1943 to cut the estimated $18 billion inflationary gap by at least one-third.

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