I hope someone shows up with knowledge of the actual history.
Googling turns up some sources, so if you’re really interested this sounds like the type of project to hone (y)our scholarship skills on, rather than passively wait for someone knowledgeable. The book linked to suggests that the rise in quality coincident with price controls (I don’t know about subsidies but I can confirm the price controls) is a recent phenomenon, so data should be readily available.
This is a great “applied rationality” question IMO—you’ve noticed a clash between some doctrine that you hold and some external evidence. Suggestion: make a Discussion top-level post, making a little more precise where the clash lies, to coordinate the finding and reporting of relevant evidence.
Googling turns up some sources, so if you’re really interested this sounds like the type of project to hone (y)our scholarship skills on, rather than passively wait for someone knowledgeable. The book linked to suggests that the rise in quality coincident with price controls (I don’t know about subsidies but I can confirm the price controls) is a recent phenomenon, so data should be readily available.
This is a great “applied rationality” question IMO—you’ve noticed a clash between some doctrine that you hold and some external evidence. Suggestion: make a Discussion top-level post, making a little more precise where the clash lies, to coordinate the finding and reporting of relevant evidence.