Conversation No. 76-6

Date: September 21, 1971
Time: 9:36 am - 11:13 am
Location: Cabinet Room

The President met with Virginia H. Knauer, Eunice P. Howe, Dr. Carmen Busquets, George A.
Johnson, Dr. Stewart M. Lee, Dr. Jean Mayer, Janet J. Rathe, Jacob Clayman, Dr. Wilma
Donahue, Dr. Stewart Lee Richardson, Jr., Solomon Harge, Gary K. Nelson, Mrs. Oscar C.
Sowards, Donald Livingston, Foster J. Pratt, Lucille H. Shriver, Joseph Smith, James P. Sullivan,
Thomas G. Walters, Colston E. Warne, and Don S. Willner; the White House photographer and
members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress]

     [General conversation/Unintelligible]

      Economics
          -Group meetings in the Cabinet Room following the August 15, 1971 economic
action
                -Organized labor
                -Business
                -Leaders of Congress
                -Governors
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               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/08)



      -Mayors
      -County officials
      -People of the US
            -Consumer group
      -Groups as representatives of the nation
      -Agriculture
            -Farmers
-Impact of wage-price freeze
      -Effects on consumers
      -Budgets
            -Federal, state, county, city
      -Consumer attitude
-Top White House advisors
      -Secretary of the Treasury
      -Council of Economic Advisors [William E. Simon]
      -George P. Shultz, Knauer
-Appreciation for the President
-The US economy
      -Consumer Advisory Council
            -Background
      -Inflation
-White House meeting
      -Congressional leaders meeting
            -First meeting as group
      -Howe
            -Background
            -Automobile salesperson
                  -Automobile insurance
      -Phase I economic action
            -Prices
            -1972
            -Consumer discipline
      -Cost of Living Council
-Consumer representatives
      -Voluntary member consumer organizations
      -Suggestions
      -Public members
      -Lee
            -Background
-International Trade Commission
-Simon [?]
      -Free enterprise
                                    16

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                            Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 10/08)



     -University of Chicago
     -Phase II
     -Economic policy
           -Effects on democracy
           -Producer and consumer interests
           -Minority views
           -Economic well-being of consumer majority
           -Economic well-being of producers minority
                  -Effects on imports
                       -Effects on quality and price competition
                       -Domestic production
                       -Effects on inflation
                       -Domestic producers
                              -Need for liberal import policy
                              -US goods
                                    -Competition with imports
-Commission’s long-range goals
-The President’s speech to Congress
     -The President’s policies
           -Effects on consumers
           -Effects on US spirit
-John B. Connally
-Major US labor and business leaders
     -Protectionist policy
     -Lobby
     -Free trade
-Commission on trade
     -Minority report on labor
           -Free trade
-Regional attitudes throughout the US
     -Surcharge
           -New England
                  -Oil
                  -Textile industry
     -Free trade
           -Effects on jobs and industry
           -Hong Kong
           -Italy
           -Spain
-US world competition
     -Effect on the US
           -Consumers
                                 17

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/08)



           -Effects on US political forces
-Washington
-American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO]
-Automobile industry
     -Japanese imports
           -Surcharge
     -Profits of US corporations
           -World trade
                 -Competition
                 -US labor
                 -Congress
           -Stability of US dollar
-Warne
     -Background
           -Controls
-Phase II
     -Resolution
           -Consumer Federation of America
           -Overall price freeze
           -Selectivity
           -Ceilings
                 -Consumer knowledge
     -Enforcement of orders
           -Office of Price Administration [OPA] World War II precedent
                 -Participation of consumers local price board
                 -Educational effect
                       -Community support
                             -Consumer responsibility
-Proposed legislation
     -Price increases in concentrated industries
           -Carey Estes Kefauver
           -Capacity
                 -Proposal
                       -Accounting
                             -Hearings
                             -Orders
-Low index prices
     -Low import quotas
           -Massachusetts
     -Protected prices
           -Competition
           -Airfares
                                   18

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/08)



           -Hotels
     -Consumer’s union experience
           -Amount of homes
           -Influence of business
-OPA
-Social Security
     -Augmentation of payments
     -Purchase of bonds
     -Current wage freeze
           -Pressure
     -Excess profit tax
           -Advertising
                  -Impact on purchasing levels
                  -Impact on savings levels
-Savings institutions
     -Objectives of the President’s program
           -Consumption
                  -Effects of advertising
                  -Social objectives
-Harge
     -Background
           -Consumer Protection Association
           -New member of Consumer Advisory Council
     -Work
           -Cleveland, Ohio
                  -Funding
                       -Consumer Protection Association
                              -National and state levels
           -Interest groups
                  -Business
                  -Labor
           -Enforcement of wage-price freeze
           -Wage increase
                  -Supermarket prices
                  -Consumers
                  -Present system
                  -Independent and consumer organizations
                       -Bureaucracy
-Willner
     -Consumer Federation of America
           -Membership
     -Phase II
                                   19

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/08)



           -Freeze
                -Questions
           -Universal burden-sharing of sacrifices
           -Enforcement machinery
           -Consumer representation
                -All levels
                -Washington, DC
                      -Councils
                            -Decisions
                            -Advice
           -Federal government
           -National policy
                -Local participation
           -Consumer income increase
                -Freezing of prices
-Smith
     -Neighborhood Consumer Information
     -Consumer union
     -Long-term investment
          -Business
                -Labor and wages
          -Productivity increase
                -Effect on business
                -Industry and business
                      -As competitors
                      -Product quality standards
          -Consumer union
                -Advertising
          -Sanctions
          -Local agencies
                -Enforcement authority
                -Revenue
                -Consumer
                -Decisions
          -Tax reinvestment
                -Employment
                -Product quality
                      -Agriculture
-Richardson
     -Louisiana State University
     -Louisiana Consumer League
     -Wage-price freeze
                                    20

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/08)



          -Spirit of the US
          -Market
          -Successful ways
          -Consumer participation
                -Unknown volunteer
                       -Effects on prices
                            -Plumbing
                            -Buses
                            -Used cars
                            -Food
                            -Health care
                            -Representatives
          -Consumer involvement
                -College students
                       -Wholesale scale
                       -Manufacturing scale
                       -Visibility to other consumers
                       -Voluntary surveillance
                -Average prices
                       -Louisiana
                       -Used cars
                       -New houses
                       -New products
                       -Loopholes
-Nelson
     -Attorney General of Arizona
     -National Association of Attorneys General
     -Supreme Court
     -Football
          -Results of game
          -Field goal
     -Federal government
          -Agency for consumer protection
          -Consumer protectionists
     -Enforcement
          -Connally
          -Robert Martin
                -Attorney General for Texas
                      -Antitrust measures
                      -Department of Justice
                      -Local prices
                           -Competition
                                 21

              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. 10/08)



                         -Public relations
                    -Consumer protection and information
                         -Wage-price control
                              -Consumer education
                              -High prices
-Budget
     -Problem solving
     -Low income
           -New consumers
                -Poverty level
                -Wage increases
                -Contrast of wages
                -Inflation
                -Retroactive rules
-Women’s liberation
-Sowards
     -Citizens’ Commission for Consumer Protection [Kentucky]
     -Consumer affairs
     -Women’s issues
           -Food costs
           -Health and nutrition
-Phase II
     -Foreign trade balance
     -Cost of Living
     -Food products
           -Ways and means of handling
           -Subsidies
                -Consumption
     -Venezuela
     -Manufacturers and consumers
     -Increased competition
     -Tax deduction
-Livingston
     -Department of Consumer Affairs, California
           -Phase II structure
                -National Council
                       -Public members
                             -Representation
                                  -Business
                                  -Labor
                                  -Consumers
                                  -Members of community
                                    22

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                            Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 10/08)



                                    -Impact
                                          -Wage-price freeze
                                    -Credibility need
                                    -State and local levels
                                    -Federal, state relationships
                -Enforcement machinery staffing
                -Public Employment Act
                -National Council
-Walters
       -National Association of Retired Federal Employees
             -Impact of economic action
                   -Membership
                         -Fixed income
                               -Wage increases
                                    -Food, rent
                         -Permanent bureaucratic structure
                         -Support of the President’s program
                         -Two-thirds of Federal government retirees
                               -$350.00 per month
                               -Percentage of women
-Pratt
       -American Association of Retired Persons
       -Price freeze
             -Support for the President
                   -Phase II
       -Inflation
             -Program
                   -Consumers
             -Poverty levels
             -Retired citizens action
-Busquets
       -Member White House Consumer Advisory Council
       -Associate Professor of Agricultural Education, University of Puerto Rico
       -Specialty training
       -Freeze
             -Situation in Puerto Rico
-National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s clubs
       -Shriver
       -Tax structure
             -Single and retired people
             -Social Security
-Consumers
                                          23

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/08)



           -Consumer League
           -Portland
                 -Model Cities Program
                       -Budget
                       -Wage-price freeze
                             -Psychological action
                                    -Inflation
                 -Effect of strikes
                       -West Coast dock strike
                 -Bill before Congress
                 -Legislation
                 -Strikes
                       -Railroad
                             -Competition
                       -Longshoremen
                       -Oregon
                       -San Francisco
                       -Los Angeles
                       -Seattle
     -Shipments
           -Vancouver
     -Pollution control

The President’s schedule
     -King of Norway
          -Forthcoming meeting
     -Congressmen and Senators
          -Delays in beginning meetings

Wage-price freeze
    -Phase II
          -Previous experience with controls
                -Support
                     -Bipartisan
                     -Public
          -Prices
          -Product control
                -Productivity Commission
                     -Quality of work
                     -Suggestions
                           -Shultz
                           -Mayors and governors
                                             24

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                                   -State and local level
                                   -Productivity
                                         -Government services
                         -Commission
                              -Public members
                                   -Labor
                                   -Business
                                   -Agriculture
                                   -Civil service
                -Consumer group

     Presidential seal cufflinks

     Presidential seal compacts

     Knauer

     [General conversation/Unintelligible]

The President left at 11:13 am