Evening star., 1943-04-09
Chicago Pork Chops
Cost 49c Here, 33c
In Iowa, Gillette Says
Freight Rates Account
For Only llze Of Price
Contrast, Senators Told

kuOtllg pork CIlOpS at ~ cenLS
In Washington as against 20 to
80 cents a pound in his State,
Senator Gillette, Democrat, of
Iowa told a Senate Agriculture
Subcommittee today the freight
rates would account for only ~
cents of the difference.
The Senator argued that while
Iowa is in the hog belt. the pork
chops used there and in Washington
both were processed and shipped
from Chicago. The Senator said his
estimate of the freight differential
was obtained from a packer.
He made the point as the subcom-
mlttee, presided over by Senator
Nye. Republican, of North Dakota,
began an inquiry to determine the
spread between retail prices here
and what the farmer gets for raw
products.
The first witness, William H Eng
land. chief analyst of the Federal
Trade Commission testified that the
agency's latest survey of agriculture
was a study of fruits and vegetables
in 1886. He said the commission
at that time found the spread was
very wide between the retail and
farm prices.
To Compare 1889 Prices.
Senator Nye explained the sub
committee will attempt to develop
comparison of present-day mar
gins with l939-when the war
started-to find out who has oc-
casioned the current increase in the
cost of living-the farmer, the jobber
or the retailer"
Senator Gillette brought the first
day of hearings to a close by an
nouncing that he also will be in
terested to find out before this in
quiry is over just what kind of an
animal they cut meat from in WASH
ington,"
Il have seen lot Of butchering in
my time, the Iowan continued. and
I don't see how it's possible to cut
a roast with so little meat on it, un-
less it comes from a giraffe"
o. V. Wells. an Agriculture De-
part expert, told Senator Gillette 1t
has been so long since he had seen
q roast he had no factual lnforma-
ton on the subject.
Housewives Help.
There will be less heat on the
farmer when the facts are known"
predicted Senator Nye, author of the
investigation, which was ordered
before President Roosevelt's S latest
price-freezing edict.
Housewives fastened to volunteer
their assistance. Twelve Washing
ton women sent Senator Nye sheaves
of grocery bills soon after the first
announcement of the inquiry. The
Senator took them home to study
last night.
Senator Nye said the next step Will
be to call several housewives in for
an informal, off -the-record confer
ence next week TO outline the infor-
nation the subcommittee wants on
an average family's food budget.
Later they will be asked to testify at
a public hearing.
The Senator also arranged with
Federal Trade Commission and Agri-
culture Department officials to pre-
pare comparisons of price levels at
the farm and in the store between
1899 and l943
Retailer Got More Than Farmer.
NJ o1of,I toctiEoI hot i,,h ~
1886 survey Of fruits and vegetables.
It was found that in some cases the
farmer got l3 cents of the conSum-
er's dollar, and that in many cases
the retailer got more of the con-
sumner dollar than the farmer.
Mr.. England had cited Texas
onions AS an illustration, testifying
that the farmer got u to l3 cents
of the consumer dollar; transport
tation. 283 cents, and the retailer,
4l47 cents.
Asked by Senator Nye what it
would cost to bring the old survey
up to date, MI. England estimated
it would run between $4,000 and
100000 Senator Gillette had re-
called that in 1886 Congress had al
lotted sl5o,O00 for the original
study.
Senator Nye observed that would
"eat quite a hole in the ST., 900 the
Senate has allowed for this in
quiry.'
Following the executive session,
indications we're the subcommittee
would endeavor to gather the best
statistics it can with the existing
facilities of various Government
agencies, including the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.