Evening star., 1943-05-09
.0PAFixes New
Ceilings for 278
Items Of Food
DoIIurs-und-Cents
Prices Will Go in
Effect Tomorrow
LIST OF MAXIMUM food prices
set for Washington market area.
Page A-12.
Ry NORMAN A. KAHL.

by HUFFMAN A. hAHL.
Specific dollars -and-cents CELL
ing prices on 278 separate items
of food were established for the
District and nearby communi-
ties by the local OPA last night
and will go in effect in retail
stores tomorrow.
The standardized maximum prices
cover 81 categories of food, includ-
ing such staple commodities as but
ter, eggs, bread, cheese. poultry and
coffee They represent the actual
ceilings for smaller independent
grocery stores and butcher shopss
and for certain private brands, and
no store in the area defined may
charge more than the price listed
for any of the items appearing on
the list.
These ceilings are the first of a
series OF such community price max
imums to be announced by the Dis
trict OPA. Within a few weeks, vir-
tually every food, whatever its
brand and in whatever kind of store
it is sold, will be covered by specific
ceilings.
Other Foods to Be Added.
The only foods which will not be
placed under community ceilings
will be those which are already
under dollars and cents price regu-
lations, such as pork products, and
those which will soon be placed
under such ceilings by national OPA
edict, such as veal, beef, lamb and
mutton. The latter four meat prod
ucts are to go under ceilings on
May IT, and these ceilings, it
was announced Friday, would be-
trimmed by 10 per cent on June l,
along with other prices of pork, but
ter and coffee.
The area in which the new com.
munity ceilings will become appli-
cable includes all of the District,
Arlington County and Alexandria
and parts of Fairfax, Montgomery
and Prince Georges Counties. This
area, known as the Washington
marketing area, was established be-
cause it comedies with the territory
in which wholesale grocers in the
District normally offer free delivery
service to retail outlets.
Eventually, it is hoped, every
housewife, as well as every store
proprietor, will be furnished with a
booklet showing the top price which
may be charged for every food item
handled. Prince Administrator
Prentiss M. Brown, in speech
made a little over week ago. prom
ised such booklets would be pre-
pared by OPA field Offices for a
general distribution.
$50 Other Cities Affected.
Community ceilings were estab-
lished by local OPA field Offices in
about $50 cities throughout the coun-
try last night. According to the
OPA, this system will be rapidly
expanded to other areas, in line
with Mr.. Browns promise that all
foods would be brought under spe-
cific prices.
Robert K. Thompson, District
OPA director, pointed out that
these simplified prices represent .
goal toward which OPA has been
working for months"
Coupled with OPA enforcement
action to maintain ceilings IN
stores which lower maximums," HI
said, this program provides the
most effective controls possible
against violations of price controls
and resultant increases in the cost
of living"
1t was made clear that while thu
ceilings which become effective to.
morrow represent the highest pos.
sible maximum in any kind of store
some larger stores and chain stores
may have old ceilings which arr
lower than those listed and which
will, therefore, remain in effec
until future lists are issued to EN-.
brace such products.
The prices issued last night apply
4 specifically to class stores-in.
dependent ablishments which dc
an annual business of less thar
$50 0,000-and to certain brands fea.
tured exclusively by certain chair
Continued on Page A-12, Col. IL