Most Americans know that the present wage stabilization program was modeled, in part, upon the experience of this country with wage stabilization in World War II. Actually, this was not the first attempt at wage stabilization. There were colonial laws and local ordinances limiting and fixing wages at the very outset of our history. In World War I, something like a wage stabilization policy, premised upon a "minimum comfort budget," with provisions for periodic adjustments in accordance with changes in the cost of living, was developed in the awards made by the several wage adjustment boards fixing wages in government establishments and in decisions of the National War Labor Board in disputes cases. But it was in World War II that this country had its most extensive experience with wage stabilization. That experience, logically, falls into three periods: (1) from the establishment of the National Defense Mediation Board in March 1941 to October 1942, before there was any legislation for wage stabilization; (2) from October 2, 1942 to December 21, 1945, during which the National War Labor Board administered an all-inclusive wage stabilization program; (3) from January 1, 1946 to February 24, 1947 when the National Wage Stabilization Board had jurisdiction only over voluntary wage increases which involved requests for price increases.