Evening star., 1944-01-13
Services Reported Sci
To Seize Meats if
Rdtioning Is Lifted
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON,


A high Government official
said today that if Congress leg
islates pork rationing holiday
or temporarily suspends all meat
rationing, the armed services will
requisition all meats from Fed
orally inspected slaughter houses
to protect their supply.
That action would tie up approx
mately 60 per cent of meat slaugh-
tered and all of it that may be
legally shipped across State lines.
The Army.and Navy, the official said,
could not risk any danger to their
supply which would result from a
holiday. He added the services
already are experiencing some diff
Guilty in meeting requirements be-
cause of the recent easing of meat
rationing.
Demands have been made in Con-
gress for pork holiday and Senator
Thomas, Democrat, of Idaho has
introduced resolution calling for
temporary removal of all meat from
rationing.
Supply to Drop 10 Per Cent.
Along this line, Col. Bryan Hous-
ton, OPA rationing chief, yesterday
said the meat supply already is re-
duced to the point where valuation
of additional spare stamps for pork
will be impossible. He said meat
supplies in February would be 10
per cent less than at present and
it probably will be necessary to raise
point values of some meats including
beef. Ration values of pork and
butter will remain unchanged, he
predicted.
Declaring War Food Administra-
tor Marvin Jones concurred in his
opposition to lifting of pork ration
ing, Col. Houston said such move
would result in severe shortages of
butter, beef, lamb and other basic
foods in the East. Far West and
Gulf Coast areas. That would come
about, he said, through diversion of
the points that would normally go
for pork and greater consumption
of the other rationed items in pro-
ducing areas.
Passage of the Thomas resolution
would be serious error, Col Hous- |
ton declared.
Ration Points Exceed Supply.
"The ration of meat for civilians
has more than kept pace with the
higher meat output and ration
points are more than ample for
buying pork he said
He said the present backing up
of hogs at terminal markets is due
mainly ito limited slaughterhouse
facilities and a grave shortage of
manpower."
At present, Col. Houston said,
there are in circulation more than
a billion meats-fats ration points in
excess of the number the supply
warrants. The second spare stamp
validated for five points on pork ex-
pirts Saturday
The point value of remaining
rationed meats and fats would have
to be increased, he said, by an aver
age of 81 per cent if those items had
to absorb also the three and a half
billion brown stamps which are
available this month for pork. This
would mean, he explained, that |
butter, for example, would have to
be increased from 16 to 26 points,
while hamburger would go from
to 10 points. Cheese would be hiked
from 10 to Is points.
In answer to reports and charges
of meat spoilage, Col Houston said
there was less of it spelling than at
any time in the last 80 years. He
admitted cold storage space was
jammed, but said measures were
being taken to relieve the situation.
Within the last few days, Col
Houston said, OPA has received !
complaints from both the Pacific |
and Atlantic coastal areas that pork |
actually is becoming scarce.
Meanwhile, Senator Wherry, Re-
publican, of Nebraska urged Stabil-
ization officials to apply the guaran-
teed floor price on hogs to weights
up to $50 pounds instead of the
present maximum of 300 pounds. |
The step, he said, is the only one
that can bring relief to hog feeders,
in view of refusal of the admins
tration to suspend pork rationing."
LOST.