Evening star., 1943-03-16
0PACei|ings
Placed on Fresh
Vegetab|esHere
Greater Variety
Is Available But
Price Is Higher

Housewives in the Washington
area may soon be able to find
greater variety of fresh vegetables in
local stores again, but in most in
stances, they will have to pay more
as result of the new ceiling prices
established by the regional OPA Of
fee in New York.
The complete schedule of the new
60-day ceilings arrived at local OPA
headquarters shortly before noon
yesterday from New York after pro-
duce men, who were expected to do
business beginning yesterday on the
basis of the new prices, had spent
the week end clamoring for the list.
The new ceilings were promptly
tabulated and released by the OPA
Office here. Most retail stores, how
ever, had not yet completed compu-
tation of the new ceilings as they
affect their establishments.
30 Different Varieties.
Altogether, price ceilings for 30
different varieties of the vegetables
controlled by ceilings were estab-
lished by the OPA. In nearly every
category, the new standardized CELL
ing for terminal sales was greater
than the general run of individual
ceilings in effect here. Under the
system previously in effect, whole
salers and retailers had their ceilings
pegged at the highest prices they
charged for the vegetables during a
basic five-day period late in Febru-
airy.
Vegetables affected by the new
ceilings are snap beans, cabbage.
carrots, peas, tomatoes, lettuce and
spinach.
Produce men expressed the opinion
that the new ceilings here and in
other Eastern markets equalized
prices sufficiently to permit a greater
flow of vegetables into this area.
They warned, however, that other
factors such as manpower, trans
portation and the recent Florida
freeze" are also responsible for
shortages and that the previous
inequality of the price ceilings sim
ply aggravated the situation.
Potato Stocks Slim.
Meanwhile, the Districts potato
supply consisted almost entirely of
the small stocks that still remained
in the hands of retailers. Ware
1 houses here have been empty OF
potatoes since last week end and
the prospects of fresh shipments
arriving here soon are dim, the
produce men say.
Retail stores which still had
| potatoes on hand were known to be
rationing them to their customers
in lots ranging from to Is pounds
per person.
Commission merchants blamed
the critical potato shortage on the
priorities system on the use of
refrigerator cars set up by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission and on
the fact that OPA has imposed price
ceilings on producers who sell table
stock but has left the market on
seed potatoes open.
Under the priorities system. Gov
eminent certified and selected seed
potatoes must be moved out of
Maine and the Red River Valley of
Minnesota and South Dakota before
table stock for civilian use may be
shipped. Army and Navy shipments
are exempt from the priorities order.
Sell Crops as Seed.
The lack Of a ceiling on seed
potatoes has led many producers.
local dealers say, to sell their crops
as seed.
Under the new standardized veg
etable ceilings, there were still
variations in the wholesale and
retail ceilings. based on the kind
OF wholesale establishment and the
volume of business done by the
retail store.
Old Danish cabbage, for instance.
Will have ceilings varying from 615
10 o12 cents a pound, depending on
what store is selling it and on what
KIND OF wholesaler it has come
from. New round Florida cabbage
VIII range from IL to IA cents A
pound; California and Arizona car
rots. from II to ID cents a bunch:
topped old nearby cabbage from
8l2 to 10 cents; Florida peas, from
20 TO 32h2 cents a pound; U. S.
NO. l Cuba and Florida tomatoes,
2Z12 TO 26l2 cents a pound, Cali
1ornia and Arizona iceberg lettuce,
712 to 9 cents pound, and spinach.
10 to II cents a pound.