The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-26
MARKET
 BLAMED ON OPA
Termed Worst in History; Wholesale Meat Ceilings
 Aggravate Shortage
By EDWARD V. ROBERTS

Limited Press Staff C0rrespondent)
 Washington, Feb. 26.-(UP)-The house small business committee to- day blamed offlce of price adninis- tration regulations for causing the worst meat "black market in his- tory one which subjects the population to the risk of eating dis eased meat"
 In a report on the meat pack ing situation, the committee charged that OPA and Secretary of Agrt- culture Claude R. Wickard have adequate legislative authority tol correct the maladjustment and ir- justice now in the meat industry, "but they have not worked in close cooperation and have differed on important questions of policy"
 The report came amid increasing indications that meat supplies will be too small to permit Q ration of 35 ounces per person per week when rationing starts about April and coincident with a report by Price Administrator Prentiss M, Brown that the relatively few chiselers" OkpJI ahA4AkOAlA bAAG bAetGbA AAAthAASb A0SNi on unpronising future"
 The house small business cofn- mittee charged that wholesale price ceilings established by OPA have aggravated the natural meat short- age by putting @ squeeze" on the meat packers, which may drive 0f1e- third of them out of business.
 "The record before the committee contains no satisfactory explana- ton of the long standing failure of the oftice of price administration to accord to meat proceSsors the fair and equitable margin required by the price control act" the commit tee said.
 Unless the packers are assured such fair margins, the nation Isl faced with increasing meat short- ages and the possible loss of as much as one-third of the present plants ," t.''
 Wickard told a press conference yesterday that slaughter supplies of meat have been "disappointingly Small" in view of the record number of cattle and hogs grown last year. He said he would not "care to pre- dict" that plans announced early this year to ration meat at 2 1-4 pounds per person could be carried out. Some food officials believe the ration may be two pounds or less.
 At least three factors point to shorter than expected civilian meat supplies: CD military and lend-lease equirements are increasing; @ fed- orally inspected slaughtering has been less than expected; and (3) Argentina, which ships meat to Bri- tain, has had 8 short feed crop.
 The decrease in meat supplies reaching commercial markets was said to be due in part to larger farm and local storage of meats but to a much greater extent to black mar ket slaughter. Wickard said. the black market slaughter must be halted soon if the ration allowance is to be as much as two pounds. He estimated that "leak" of meats, largely to black markets, at between 10 and 20 per cent of the total slaughter. Food Distribution Di- rector Roy Hendrickson said IT per cent leak "seems to be pretty good figure"
 Wickard compared the black mar kets to prohibition ear speakeasies.
 They are worse." he said. "Po- tentiaily, they represetn not only lswlessness but threat to one of our most vital weapons of war. A waste of our food resources now will prOlong the war and will cause the death of thousands upon th0u- sands Of American boys. Further more, the waste of our food re- sources may make impossible a sound and lasting peace"
 Brown said that the allti-black market drive now is being pushed to It's final stages. Tn the past three weeks, he disclosed 420 indi- viduals and firms have been indlct- cd, arrested, entoined or sued for tFiple damages for black market op- eyations in meat. Of these eases, about le0 are being prosecuted
 10 revealed that nearly 1890 oPA inVestlgRtoTB-mor than hall isn available enforcement staff have been directed to spend full time oil the anti-bldck market campaign uils til the present situation is re- Vaaled.
 "Jngtieo ~ and stern justice -- ie catching up with black market opeF- al0YBF Brown warned. HHyeEE ol5e of these gentry taken cat q tne market and properly panlsned .es. ,.