Evening star., 1944-04-01
New VIA Shifts End
Threat Of Walkouts
by Commodity Aides
BY the Associated Press.

AsAAiAblAAA6C Va q FoooA1AC WoAh
out of veteran top food COM
modify specialists in the War
Food Administrators Ofhce of
Distribution, in protest against
loss of wartime powers, died
down today as the agency re-
shuffled its internal organiza-
tion for the second time in less
than a month.
Under a reorganization order
issued early last month, Lee
Marshall, director of distribution,
placed all food procurement and
disposition activities under 1t. Col.
Ralph w. Olmstead, as deputy di-
rector for supply. The VIA buys
food for lease-lend, foreign reliet
and related war programs.
Before that action commodity
specialists had been largely respon-
sible for mapping out purchase,
price support, processing, market
ing and transportation programs of
the Office of Distribution for their
particular commodities. Thus they
were in position to coordinate
various activities affecting their
commodities.
Mr.. Marshall, baking company
official on leave of absence, changed
[all that shortly after he became
director of distribution when Roy
F. Hendrickson resigned to become
deputy director Of the United Ma
tions Relief and Rehabilitation Ad-
ministration.
Procurement Separated.
Under Mr.. Marshall's setup. pro-
curement activities, important in
struments in influencing market
prices and production, were sepa-
rated from the functions Of pro-
duction, marketing and the support
of prices.
That separation brought protests
from the commodity specialists.
Although none would comment. re-
ports circulated that several, in
cluding Tom G. Stitts, chief Of the
dairy and poultry branch, and O. E,
Reed, chief of the livestock and
meats branch, had threatened to
resign.
Mr.. Marshall then reshufi1ed his
organization again. This time he
placed in the commodity branches
the responsibility for developing and
administering overall programs for
the management of their respective
commodities, and gave them the
right to consult with Col. Olmstead
on procurement programs.
This change apparently has
smoothed out the administrative
differences.
Egg Price Problem Arises.
While this internal rift was at it's
height, difficulties developed in egg
markets in many sections of the
country. Prices dropped, in some
areas, below price support levels
promised by the VITA. Oficials
declared there was no connection
between the organiZational differ
ences and the failure of the Cow
ernment's support program to be
effective in all areas.
The production of eggs has he
come unusually heavy, they said. and
IN many areas the supply is in
excess OF civilian and military re-
quirements and storage facilities
The VIA has in recent days taken
steps to broaden its purchase opera
tions. which is about the only mech
anlsm for supporting prices.
Fifteen Midwestern Senators will
meet today with Food Administrator
Marvin Jones to discuss steps to
increase egg prices in their States
Senator Wherry, Republican. of
Nebraska, who arranged the con-
terence, said the Senators had been
oesieged by letters from egg pro-
ducers stating that almost over
night the prices have dropped as
much as 10 cents dozen and the
market has become demoralized.