Evening star., 1943-01-20
Few Complaints Made
Here as 0PA Fights
Black Market in Meat
No Widespread Violation
Seen Here; Nationwide
Drive Gets Under Way

Some complaints that black mar
kets for meats are running in the
metropolitan area Of Washington
have been received, but there have
been no indications of widespread
violations of regulations in this sec
ton, 1t was said at the District Of
flee of Price Administration today.
as the National OPA launched
Nationwide drive against such prac-
tees.
It was explained that the local
Office has been handicapped by lack
of personnel, that there have not
been enough investigators to make
a thorough inquiry. Hope was ex-
pressed that the national office
would assign additional investigators
if 1t expected enforcement to be
rigid here.
Complaints that have come in are
being investigated as fast as pos
slble, 1t was said Doubt was ex-
pressed that dealers in this area
were violating ceiling prices in large
numbers.
Black Market Difficult Here.
At the national OPA, which has
received reports of organized viola
tions in some sections of the coun-
try, especially in the West, it was
pointed out that supplies for black
markets could be obtained more
readily in a cattle country, where
meat leggers" sometimes could buy
cattle above the ceiling prices and
sell them to dealers at forbidden
rates.
Marketing in and around Wash
ington is more standardized, it was
explained, and most meats arrive
from licensed and supervised pack
ing houses.
Each regional OPA Office will do
It's own investigating under the ma
tional order to enforce meat regula-
tions rigidly. Those cases of accused
violators will be cleared through ma
tional OPA through the Justice De-
partment and then, If the evidence
is held sufficient, sent back to the
United States attorney in the region
for criminal prosecution or injunc-
tion proceedings.
Because of this diversion of meat,
many legitimate packing houses
were getting little more than enough
meat to fill their orders for the
armed forces, lease lend and other
governmental purposes, this author
ity explained Many stores across
the country have been short of meat
for weeks.
Actions Under Way.
OPA regional attorneys met in
Cleveland to set up program
against illegal meat sales and Grim
u1al actions already were underway
In several districts.
A survey Of other areas showed
that violations have heen reported
in nine major cities with criminal
action pending against violators in
most cases.
Cities in which violations of OPA
regulations have been reported in
clude New York, Philadelphia. SYRIA
cuse. Los Angeles, New Orleans. De-
trott, Boston, Dallas and Seattle.
The OPA spokesman disclosed the
Agriculture Department was CO.
operating In the drive, partly be-
cause Of the alleged evasion of Fed
eral meat inspection laws, and also
predicted efforts to persuade farmers
not to sell their cattle to any one |
but known buyers in established |
business.
First Complaints From South.
Reports of bootleg slaughtering |
hrst came from the South about |
three or four months ago, and since |
then appears to have spread rapidly |
throughout the country" the OPA
representative said.
In the South these hidden slaugh-
ter houses seem to be located mostly
in the mountains while in other
areas, remote barns, shacks in the
woods and similar places are used to
carve UP cattle for sale"
Aside from sanitary aspects, the
chief threat in the black market
sale of meat was said to be the effect
OF the illegal meat prices on the cost
of living. If the black market in
meat continues, a substantial part
of the population will find its food
budget increased considerably be-
cause of the high prices demanded
by meat bootleggers, since legally
priced meat would tend to disappear
from the stores, the Official said.