Evening star., 1943-12-07
|0PA inspectors
|Deny Meat Is
Spelling Here
Tell of Discovering
$1,000 Lbs. Suited
To Sausage Making

TWO once OF Price Admins
tration investigators. after visit
ing larger meat-packing plants
in Washington this morning, de-
MED before the Senate Banking
Committee that surplus meat is
spelling here.
They were sent out at the request
of Senator Bankhead, Democrat, of
Alabama after Joseph G. Montague.
counsel for the Texas and South
west cattle raisers, testified yester-
day that more than $4,000 pounds Of
beef and some mutton and lamb
were spelling here.
Mr.. Montague was presenting
arguments against continuance OF
the Governments meat subsidy
program.
G. F. Lasswell of the OPA meat
| rationing division told the commit
tee today that at one meat packing
establishment he found % or 30
carcasses about $4,000 pounds that
was not in flrst-class condition"
Far From Spelling"
However, it was far from spoil
ing" Mr.. LassUell continued. It
also found the manager did not
know that under the regulations he
could bone it and sell it to sausage
maker"
Mr.. LassWell told of visiting six or
seven other supply places without
finding any meat spelling.
Questioned by Senaor Bankhead
why the first place had % or 30 car
casses 1t had not been able to move,
Mr.. LassWell said it was Just a case
OF ordering too much. The witness
explained that so per cent of the
grade B, or better" meat. must be
set aside for the Government. The
beef he found in need of moving.
he said was known as utility, or
Grade C. Mr. Lasswell said this
beef was still in salable condition
for sausage, and that arrangements
were made to sell 1t to a sausage
maker.
Can meat that is not perfectly
good be made into sausage in
Washington asked Senator MAY
bank, Democrat, of South Carolina.
Cut Off Outer Surface.
Mr., LassWell explained that 1t
was only necessary to cut off the
outer surface of such meat to make
1t good, adding that Is regular
practice.
Arthur B. Williamson, another
OPA representative who accom-
panied Mr.. Lasswell. explained he
had been in the meat business in
this area for 20 years. and backed
up Mr.. Lasswell's statement that it
Is not unusual to trim down the
older meat on hand and make it
good for use.
) When committee members turn
/, ed to the question of whether ho-
tells get the better grade steaks,
Mr.. Williamson said he would rath-
er have steak from the utility
beef under discussion in this morn
lngs inspection than from fresh
utility cattle.
Seasonal Difficulty.
Mr.. Williamson also told the COM
mlttee it is an annual occurrence
IN the meat business for butchers
to have difficulty selling the larger
cuts OF beef q few weeks before
Christmas. because the housewives
are out shopping and they want
steaks or chops
Washington meat Wholesa lers
charged last month that thousands
OF pounds of meat wore spelling
mere each week because of a short
age OF low-temperature refrigera-
ton and excess supplies.
One wholesaler said the Govern
ment had authorized an increase
IN slaughtering without providing
for consumption of "the tremen-
! dous surplus" by the public,
Another blamed the situation on
the inability of hotels and restau-
rants to absorb the incoming sup
plies because of rationing,
: Plenty Amid Scarcity"
: Edward D. Shaw. secretary of the
, Merchants and Manufacturers As
soclatlon, described the situation as
plenty in the midst of scarcity"
< after the problem had been discussed
at a meeting Of the associations
, meat branch.
B., Officials of the OPA and Food
: Distribution Administration said
there was no need for meat spelling
here. If wholesalers had overbought,
they added, they could dispose OF
their excesses either by cutting the
price Is per cent. and thus effecting
25 per cent reduction in ration
point value. or by disposing of their
: excesses to sausage makers.
Mr.. Montague Yesterday charged
(See MEAT. Page A-2O)