Executive Order 9651—Amending Executive Order 9599, Providing for Assistance to Expanded Production and Continued Stablization of the National Economy During the Transition from War to Peace, and for the Orderly Modification of Wartime Controls Over Prices, Wages, Materials and Facilities

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes of the United States and particularly the Stabilization Act of 1942 as amended, and for the purpose of carrying out the guiding policies of Executive Order 9599 of August 18, 1945, and amplifying the provisions of part IV thereof, Executive Order 9599 is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following part VI: "VI. "1. The Stabilization Administrator, designated pursuant to Executive Order No. 9620 of September 20, 1945, shall approve, under section 2 of part IV of this order, a wage or salary increase falling into any of the following three classes in any case in which such increase has been found by the National War Labor Board or other designated agency to be necessary to correct a maladjustment or inequity which would interfere with the effective transition to a peacetime economy: "a. Increases where the percentage increase in average straight time hourly earnings in the appropriate unit since January 1941 has not equaled the percentage increase in the cost of living between January 1941 and September 1945. "b. Increases necessary to correct inequities in wage rates or salaries among plants in the same industry or locality, with due regard to normal competitive relationships. "c. Increases necessary to insure full production in an industry, designated by the Stabilization Administrator, which is essential to reconversion and in which existing wage rates or salaries are inadequate to the recruitment of needed manpower. "The Stabilization Administrator shall continue to approve wage or salary increases approved by the National War Labor Board or other designated agency in cases in which such increases satisfy standards in effect prior to August 18, 1945. "The Stabilization Administrator may define additional classes of wage or salary increases which the National War Labor Board or other designated agency is authorized to approve as necessary to correct a maladjustment or inequity under section 2 or part IV of this order. "Nothing in the foregoing shall be construed to require the National War Labor Board or other designated agency to approve any wage increase unless, in its judgment, the increase is necessary, on the facts of the particular case, to correct a maladjustment or inequity which would interfere with the effective transition to a peacetime economy. "In making findings under this section the National War Labor Board or other designated agency shall be subject to directives issued by the Stabilization Administrator under the authority conferred by Executive Orders 9250 and 9328 or other applicable Executive Orders. "2. Nothing in this order shall be construed to prevent an employer from putting a wage or salary increase into effect and thereafter applying for approval of such increase, under the standards of this order, so that it may be used as the basis for seeking an increase in price ceilings, or for resisting otherwise justifiable reductions in price ceilings, or, in the case of products or services being furnished under contract with a federal procurement agency, for increasing the costs to the United States. "3. Notwithstanding the fact that a wage or salary increase has not been approved in accordance with this order, the Price Administrator shall, after the expiration of a reasonable test period, which save in exceptional cases shall be six months after the wage or salary increase has been made, take such increase into account in determining whether an increase in price ceilings is then required under the established standards governing increases in price ceilings." HARRY S. TRUMAN THE WHITE HOUSE, October 30, 1945