Evening star., 1943-03-15
Produce Dealers Kep1
In Dark on New 0PA
Vegetable Ceilings
Official Word Still
Lacking; Larger Supplies
Expected in District
Continued From Page BID

iCOllIlllUGu TIOIn 1dRS ~
on the market. In the first place,
favorable ceilings in certain places
resulted in alarming concentrations
of refrigerator cars in these places,
with the result that the cars could
not be unloaded in the normal time,
he pointed out. This meant that
many refrigerator cars have been
tied up at a time when they are
urgently needed to carry other per-
ishables, including seed potatoes, he
said.
Carrots Flood New York.
New York, Mr.. Cavanaugh said,
foun ditsef week ago with more
carrots on hand than it had ever
had in its history because of this
situation, and refrigerator cars were
lying idle In the yards because deal
ers could not use the carrots they
carried.
In Baltimore, he explained, sew
eral distributors were embargoed by
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, one for five days, because they
were unable to unload their cars
which had been shipped on consign-
ment.
The second factor, Mr.. Cavanaugh
declared, was the fact that growers,
discouraged by the uncertainty Gre
ated by OPAs ceilings, were not re-
planting crops, with the result that
shortages were likely to become even
more acute than they are now. He
said that while the OPA ceilings had
the effect of keeping prices from
rising for a short time, the ultimate
result would be that the prices
would not 60 down as far nor as
quickly as they would have if the
ceilings had not been applied or if
they had been equitable from the
beginning.
One phase of the new ceilings that
has not yet been cleared up even
by telephone is the extent Of mark
up allowed. 1t is understood that
generally the retailer will be per-
mitted 80 per cent markup over
the base ceiling prices on all COM
modities except cabbage and peas
and that on the latter items he will
be permitted markups of from so
per cent to IS per cent depending on
the size of his establishment. Part
of these markupS will be taken up
by distributors and middlemen.
New Ceiling Prices.
The new ceiling on purchases dl-
rect from railroad cars are:
Snap beans-All varieties, S6.2l a
bushel hamper of about IS pounds.
Cabbage-Old nearby Danish, 81
for 50-pound bag; old nearby red,
sl.60 per 50-pound bag; new round
Florida, $685. per 1l2-bushel ham
per, new round Texas, 81 43 per l.. A.
crate of about IS pounds; new round
Texas, 1886 for two-thirds Of L. A.
crate of about so pounds; new round
Texas, S246 for half L. A. crate OF
about At pounds; new red Texas,
So As for two-thirds L. A. crate; new
red Texas, s246 for one-haf L. A.
crate; new Savoy Texas. 81 46, one
half L. A. crate.
Carrots-Bunched California and
Arizona, S575 crate OF about six
dozen: punched Texas, S495 crate +;
California, $3.50 for bushel or one
half crate of about SO pounds;
topped Texas, S245 per bushel, half
crate or 50-pound sack; topped old
nearby, 81 per half crate, bushel or
50-pound sack.
Peas-Mexican, $3.50 per bushel,
about 80 pounds; Florida, 1896 per
bushel, about rs pounds.
Other New Ceilings.
Tomatoes-U. S. No. !, Cuba and
Florida, $6.2l for 5x5, 5x6 6x6, 30
pound hugs; U. S No. /, Mexican,
s575, SKIS, 5x6, 6X6, 30-pound lugs;
U. S. No. /, all varieties, S571, for
6x7. 30-pound lugs; U. S. No. |, all
varieties, S496 for 7X7, 30-pound
lugs; U. S. No. /, all varieties, S37l,
7x8, 30-pound lugs; repacked, s225
for 10 l-pound carton. and repacked
choice cellophane- wrapped, So SO for
10 1-pound carton,
Lettuce--Iceberg, California and
Arizona, $6,25, L. A. crate of from
4 to 5 dozen, about rs pounds; Ice
berg, California and Arizona, S. 25
L. A. crate Of about 6 dozen, about
rs pounds, and Big Boston and Flor
ida, $4.45 per Ia -bushel hamper.
Spinach-$l.8o bushel of about
30 pounds.