Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-12
Table OF Prices on PAGE BPS

(Tdble OF Prices on Page B-25.)
The complete schedule of dol
lars-and-cents ceiling prices on
beef, lamb and mutton, which
are to go into effect next
Monday, was announced by the
District Office of Price Admins
tration today.
The new prices, experimenting
those on pork products which be-
came effective April l, were issued
by the local Office as being apple
able to the District and to nearby
Maryland. Ceilings for nearby Vir-
ginia, expected to be a cent lover
on some cuts of meat, will be an
nounced later.
Although the new ceilings repre-
sent price reductions of from one to
three cents from the list of ceilings
announced by the OPA early in
April, which were Cancelled before
they went into effect, meat prices
in chain stores after Sunday will
actually be about 20 per cent above
those now in effect. it was estimated
from the results of a survey con-
Quoted by The Star. At the same
time, it appeared, prices in indie
pendent stores will drop around 10
per cent from prevailing levels.
Coincident with the announce
ment of the complete list of CELL
ings, the national OPA sent out a
reminder that all meat prices, along
with those of butter and coffee,
would be cut an additional 10 per
cent on June l through the use of
subsidies.
Even after this further reduc.
ton in the specific ceilings. meats
at local chain stores will still cost
about 10 per cent more than they
do now, it was calculated.
A study of prevailing ceiling prices
on nine of the most popular cuts of
meat in two of the largest grocery
chains operating in the District
was made for the purpose of com.
pairing these prices with the new
maximums which will go into effect
Monday
Among the cuts used as sample,
the greatest increase at the chain
stores will be in porterhouse steak.
which will cost 81 per cent more
after next Monday if the chains
take advantage of the higher CELL
ings. Porterhouse now sells for 43
cents a pound in both chains, and
the new ceiling will be SO cents.
Chuck roast, which now sells for
% cents in both chains, will advance
to 81 cents-an increase of IS per
cent. Roast beef will cost between
20 and 30 per cent more; leg of
lamb between 20 and IS per cent
more and round steak about Is per
cent more.
Prices in the smaller independent
stores, however, will be generally
lowered as the result of the new
specific ceilings. Because the pres
ent individual ceilings. based on
March 1942) prices, show a wide
variation, it is difficult to ascertain
the exact extent of the decrease,
Prices now in effect at typical small
independent shops, however. indi-
Gated that the average reduction
would run around 10 per cent. The
cost of roast beef, for example, will
drop around Is per cent. while leg
of lamb will come down about per
cent.
Further Reductions June l.
For the smaller stores the June |
reduction of ceilings Of 10 per cent
which was promised by Price Ad-
ministrator Prentiss N Brown will
bling their prices between Is and 20
per cent from existing levels, it was
estimated
Under the order which sets up
the new ceilings, stores are divided
into classes-those which are in
dependently owned and which did
total volume of business less than
S250000 last year, and those which
are chain-operated or independent
which did more than $250,0O0 worth
of business in 1912.
When meat prices were frozen"
last May on the basis Of the highest
prices charged in March, 1912, the
chain stores we're caught with prices
considerably lower than most of
those existing in the smaller indie
pendent stores. AS a result, chain
stores have been operating their