New-York tribune., 1919-08-22
Reduction Decided On as
Result of a Conference
of Association Officials
With Arthur Williams
Choice Cuts Unchanged
Plan Launched for State
Licensing of All Whole
sale Dealers in Foods

,sn.s a pound within the next few
a,vs as the result Of meeting yes
..rd.y between twenty-five officials Of
-s..il butchers associations and
Arthur Williams, Federal Food Admin
istrator.
Mr.. Williams submitted a list of
rr;ce margins permitted on the various
,..s Of meat, but the dealers rejected
hem emphaticalN and unanimously.
n. figures were those which prevailed
aurine the last days of the wartime
sod administration.
According to the dealers, their over
5.ad expenses have increased greatly
.ircs last Decemoer. It would be WOO
,ns bankruptcy for them to attempt to
10 business on the old margins, they
contended.
They said they have not been selling
On the marginal prices because the
eo7ernmeat had not requested them to
10 50. despite the fact that the mar
s.ns were published at the outset Of
he present drive on high prices. They
omitted they are exceeding the old
nargne BY from to cents, and more
7 some instances
New Margins To Be Fixed
Nr. Williams decided the size of the
Committee made it cumbersome and
ssked that eight men be selected, one
presenting each local OF the asso-
when new margins will be fixed. Until
.Aese new margins are fixed, he asked
4ai dealers do business as close to the
var allowances as possible The deal
RS assured the administrator that they
would reduce their present prices by
about . cents a pound, pending the out
come Of Wednesdays meeting.
What We want" Mr.. Williams said,
IS To arrange price schedules so the
mother Of family can purchase good,
substantial, but not fancy, beef at mod
rata cost We want to promote the
health Of children Feeding them good
reef will do 1t We are willing to over
look regulations on porterhouse steaks
md flets. II people insist on buying
heir food over marble topped counters
nd IN gaudiy decorated stores, they
'aus- pay for Il Our chief concern is
With the poor and middle clasa peo-
lie, Vho are finding it a hard struggle
% exist
The butchers assured him of their CO.
cperation and said they would begin
nnediately to revise their price mar
ms.
Veal and Lamb Still Rise
Tie price of common beef dropped
oae cent yesterday, while veal and
-aub. which are very scarce, continued
M their gradual upward price trend.
ne butchers declared the present
-ntiou for lower prices has not been
IN the food market in any degree.
cne Of The arguments advanced for
4rser margins was the unrest Of
'ourneymea butchers. They are receiv-
ag from s35 to $40 weekly at present
md are about to demand a fat rate of
sio, according to the boss butchers.
Yesterdays session was enlivened by
sharp tit between President William
1rlsmer, Of the National Retail Butch
'rs' Association, and August F. Grimm,
Of the East Side Branch. The latter
objected to Mr. G-ismer's whispered
conversations with Mr.. Williams.
The retail grocers, who met directly
ioHowing the 11tch cra. came prepared
or actiur- They quickly ac-cei that
ne margins fixed by ny Williams were
satisfactory and IN twenrv r.ia~tes
.neg IA 2eJ ol1,nzzcas- promising 20 lower
NE Qrlces OF so-Hs commodities To con
Term -1th the neE schedule
Moon or prics Committee
hr Williams announced yesterday
,eat George T. Moon. president of the
rulton Fish Market Dealers Associa-
HoN, has accepted mem bcrship to the
ar Price committee. Mrs. Charles
I. RCmsey, chairman of the field or
sanitation Subcommittee, announced
ne personnel OF that pody yesterday.
y u follows: Mrs. William Randolph
nearst, Mrs. Sara Conboy, Mrs. Henry
Aoscowltz and Mrs. James Lees Laid
a~' Mrs Rumsey said she plans to
.uStitute campaign next week to en-
courage women to do their shopping
carefully ard acquire the habit o.
eefoss-examining dealers on prices
Aicnael IL Friedsanl, chairman Of the
suo-committee on shoes and clothing,
Monday.
fslr price committees probably will
y. ue established in every community in
G me state, Mr.. Williams said. Former
GOVERNOR Martin II. Glynn and DR..
g%oNn %n H. Finley, state Commissioner of
hducatlon. announced this 10 Mr. Will
ans when they called on him yester-
Jay They are members of Governor
''nitn special food committee.
Licensing Jobbers Favored
After a meeting yesterday in the
W zeal offices of the State Department of
pms parms and Markets, DR.. Eugene a.
.ol'er, the Commissioner, issued a
statement announcing that the licens
,iig o., all Wholesale food dealers would
s s,c IN relieving the present critical
..s .eoo prlce situation. The meeting was
TT,sended by May B. Van Arsdale, Of
saShers College, and James A Kill
,SnSgn' ~ both members Of the State Coun-
~ u. OF Farms and Markets; II. II. Jones,
ri-ector Of the local Office Of the di-
.I4on OF food and markets, and many
. aer oftclals and union labor repre-
" Porter declared that, in his opin-
A.. A.. the sensational methods TO force
haHi han Prices of the last few weeks