Evening star., 1943-05-15
0PA Orders Tighten
Ceiling Controls,
Fix Soap Prices
Rule Provides 10 Pct.
DifferentiuI in Chain
Store Meat Charges

More than half a dozen different
kinds of food were under tighter
price control today after a series of
orders was issued by the Office of
Price Administration.
The OPA also announced specific
dollar-and-cent ceilings on soap sold
in grocery stores. Soap handled in
other retail outlets was not affected
and will remain pegged at the
March, 1912, prices.
Products affected by the orders is
sued today and yesterday are meat,
prices of which in the largest chain
stores must be cut 10 per cent from
the ceilings announced for stores in
classes and 4; canned and frozens
fruits and vegetables. on which new
markups that were to become effec-
tive Monday were revoked: canned
tuna fish, bonita and yellowtail,
prices of which will be rolled back
from l to 3 cents through an order
reducing Gamers maximum prices,
and unsalted butter which will be
increased or cents a pound
Affects Large Chains.
The orders on meats requires re-
tail stores which had an annual
business of $2500O0 or more last
year and are members of a food Or
ganlzatlon with an annual gross
volume of more than $40,000,00 in
1912 to maintain ceiling prices 10
per cent below those for class 3
and 4 stores tmulti-outlet stores and
super on beef, veal, lamb
and mutton.
OPA said the order affects only
small number of large distributors
and added that these stores. because
of large-volume operations. would
otherwise be entitled to a Substan-
tial increase, under the new price
ceilings. from their present max
imum prices based on March, 1912.
selling prices.
Price Administrator Prentiss NJ
Brown said the order requiring the
10 per cent below ceilings was tenn
porary, pending discussions expected
to lead to special pricing class for
large-volume outlets
Maximum markups for retailers
selling canned and frozen fruits and
vegetables were revoked when the
OPA discovered that grocers who
used the markups would in many
cases be charging more than they
formerly did
Lower Markups Restored.
In place of the new list of mark
ups, OPA restored the lower mark
ups which have been in effect for
several months for canned and
frozen vegetables and reduced the
markups which were announced this
week for canned and frozen fruits.
The action will not affect the
issuance of COMMUNICATIVE dollar
and-cent price ceilings. except that
the new city-wide ceilings will be
based on lower markup margins.
Also revoked were the new mark
ups announced for wholesalers SELL
ing canned foods, vegetables and
baby foods.
In the past. wholesalers and re-
tallers of canned vegetables have
been allowed to use either specified
markup over cost or the highest
price charged in March. 1912. Under
the new action only the specified
markups may be used in establish
ing the ceiling price.
The new markups do not apply to
canned citrus fruits and juices, since
separate markups covering these
products have not been changed.
Reductions of retail prices on tuna.
fish. bonito and yellowtail will be
achieved through an OPA order. is
sued today and effective next Fri
day, reducing Gamers maximum
prices. These reductions range from
SO to 81 for a case of the one-pound
size
The price of unsalted butter, used