Evening star., 1943-03-15
Dea|ersKept
In Dark on New
0PACei|ings
Official Word Still
Lacking on Changed
Vegetable Prices

New price ceilings on seven
different kinds OF fresh vege-
tables, resulting in increases esti-
mated as high as Is per cent to
the consumer, were in effect in
the District today-but nobody
knew about them of11cially.
Produce merchants admitted that
the local market was in state Of
confusion as result OF the order
which had not reached even the
local OPA ofice this morning.
Robert K Thompson. District OPA
director, said he had called the New
York regional ONCE yesterday after
learning that the new ceilings had
been issued there and had been
given the order by telephone. But
the ceilings had not been received at
the District Office either by mail or
over the teletype system.
As far as they could determine
from perfunctory study of the
new ceilings, local wholesale deal
ers said they believed the adjust
ments would equalize prices here
with those in other areas and would
help to bring additional shipments
OF produce into the city. The new
schedules, they believed, would
make it just as profitable for pro-
ducers to ship their vegetables into
the District as into other markets
which have previously had more
favorable ceilings.
Shortages still existed, though,
they said, and no revision of CELL
mRs could alleviate this condition.
Some produce merchants, who had
zone to some pains yesterday to OBJ
tain the new ceilings which were
released in New York Saturday
night, said they were operating to-
day on the basis of the revised
schedule. Others said they first
learned of the ceilings when they
were reported in the newspapers this
morning and couldn't possibly ad-
lust their business today to the new
schedules. For most of them, the
order was still just a rumor.
One merchant said he had gone
cut yesterday to buy a New York
newspaper and said he thought he
understood the ceilings and was bas-
Ing today's business on them. But
he conceded that his information
was still bit foggy and that he
might be proceeding on the wrong
basis.
Critical of OPA Method.
,All<of the produce men were high
y critical of the method used by
the OPA in making what, they said
were badly needed adjustments.
IT understand why they have
TO work through New York" one
dealer said Local officials under
stand the local market better-and,
anyway, we've got thu. national 0PA
right here" /
AS a matter Of fact, even the@na-
Honal OPA wouldn't have known
about the new ceilings except for
the newspapers Sylvan Joseph. re- /
gional director, was in Washington
one day last week conferring with
national and local OPA officials on
Vic fCkCbdplC buI
no one here knew when the an
aouncement would come from New
York.
Produce men here also charged the
regional ONCE with stupidity" in
making the announcement Saturday
night, to go into effect this morning,
Eithout making the information gen.
orally available. The only informa-
ton regarding the new ceilings that
was available Saturday night was
the fact that the ceilings had been
adjusted and the schedule of prices
ret for the New York-Newark
market.
Seven Vegetables Affected.
Vegetables affected by the new Or
der are snap beans. cabbage, carrots,
peas, tomatoes, lettuce and spinach.
m nearly every instance, the adjust
nents represented an increase.
Produce men pointed out that it
appears the new ceilings would yield
the growers the same price in every
market after freight charges had
bsen taken into consideration, and
that therefore Washington should
get its share of fresh produce.
Damage already done by the OPA
order though, will be felt for several
months, 1T was charged by Joseph
Cavanaugh, director OF special serv-
ices OF the National Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Distributors Associa ton.
the vegetable ceilings, Mr.. Cav
snaugh said, had two major effects
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