Evening star., 1943-04-04
.0PAMen Check
ESQ Butchers on
Point Sales
Violations Found;
Prosecution Threat
Curbs Bargains

retail meat stores during the day
and that a number of violations
Of the rationing regulations had
been discovered.
The action was taken apparently
to curb wave of point sales
which 1t was feared earlier would be
staged yesterday by butchers to spur
weekend business. Many of the
promised point bargains were
called off, however evidently after
both the national and the local OPA
Offices threatened vigorous prosecu-
ton of dealers who disregard the
regulations. Under OPA rules.
butchers may hold point sales
only when they are making a bona
fide attempt to prevent spoilage
and when they comply with the
procedure set up for such sales.
Heath C. Norman, chief ration
ing officer for the District, an
nounced last night that his Office
had conducted survey Of local
wholesalers and meat packers and
that he had arrived at the conclu-
sion there is no justifcat ton for
any large number of point sales"
Calls Demand STEADY"
"A discussion of this subject with
the large meat buyers of this area"
he said, also indicates there is still
steady demand for beef, pork, lamb
and veal sufficient to support the
full point values
Mr.. Norman warned that, except
for a few isolated cases where re-
tailers have in stock comparatively
small amounts of meat "in i'm
minent danger of spoilage,' full
point prices must be met.
Mr.. Norman said his investi-
gators yesterday found some
violations where meats were being
sold at less points than they (the
Dealers are required to obtain
under the regulations
In every case the rationing
chief added, "the investigator.
before leaving the store, educated
the proprietor as to the regulations
and obtained compliance. In many
instances, lack of compliance was
due to misunderstanding OF the
| regulations"
Buying Below Normal.
Although meat-buying picked up
somewhat yesterday as housewives
bought their Sunday supplies. meat
dealers reported that 1t was far
below what was once considered
normal for Saturday. Many
butchers said they had antici-
pated their needs and had not
stocked up too heavily.
Their customers, they said. gazed
hungrily at choice cuts of meat dis
played in the trays, but few of them
could afford the points for all of the
meat they wanted.
There was marked difference in
the size of the bundles patrons car
rled out the stores yesterday. Be-
fore rationing. it had become a
widespread family habit to do the
major share of the weeks shopping
on Saturday afternoon or evening,
and customers left the store with
| large quantities of meat and canned
goods among other things. Now
both are rationed and the bundles
| have become smaller.
Customers Patient.
To some extent. the smaller pur.
chases balanced the additional time
it takes checkers" in chain stores
to count up red and blue ration
stamps.
At the Giant Food Market at
Georgia avenue and Newton place
NV. four lines of customers
streamed steadily past the check
ing counters between and 7 pm,
the busiest hour of the day for this
store. The greatest number of per-
sons observed in any one line at
one time was 26.
Checkers were handling customers
at the rate of about one a minute
and said every one was in a patient
mood yesterday.
Sometimes I'm not so cheerful
about my job as I am today" said
one Of them, Albert Murphy.
Sometimes the customers aren't so
cheerful either"
His helper, Warren Peoples.
Central High School senior, said
that the chief difficulty was that
some patrons still came up to the
counter with several hundred points
worth of canned goods when they
had coupons for only about 50
points. He said some time was con-
sumed in explaining to such Gus
toners that they couldn't have all
Of their selections.
There was also evidence that some
dealers have not yet become fully
acquainted with the regulations. A
number of independent butchers
were not aware that they are per-
mitted to reduce point values il
their meat is in danger of spelling.
They said, however, that they did
not believe it would be necessary
for them to resort to this procedure
under present conditions.
Buying Rush in Baltimore.
One retailer, at least honored
some red stamps lettered B, al
though these stamps do not become
valid until tomorrow. He said he
believed it was "all right to do
this
In Baltimore it was reported that
housewives, who had been buying
slowly all week, rushed to their
meat shops yesterday and threat
ened to deplete the city's supply.
John H. Blocher. president OF the
Independent Retail Grocers' Asso-
citation Of Baltimore. said. however,
that he believed most dealers would
have an opportunity to build up
their stocks during the early part
Of the week because buying is ex-
pectad IN he 1icht aooip Mast