Evening star., 1944-01-26
Shorter Meat Supply
Starting Next Month
Predicted by Bow|es

iINNtSiSO W NVVI~S
The American family today faced
the prospect Of reduced supplies of
meat as food professors, trade
unionists and Government officials
continued their verbal battle at the
Capitol over wartime rationing
policies.
Price Administrator Bowles, in a
radio address last night, forecast a
shorter meat supply and increasing
rationing point values for it in Feb
ruary. He gave the housewife, how
ever, one small word of consolation !:
Butter, long scarce, will be more
plentiful, though its ration value
will remain at is points a pound.
Previously subcommittee of the
Senate Banking Committee yester-
day heard George A. Casey, chair
man Of the board of the National
Meat Packers Association, complain
that lease-lend was getting more
than its share of prime American
beef.
Consultation Urged.
Testifying that a minimum of
100000 pounds Of edible offal"-
such. as pork hooks, snouts, knuckles
and stomachs-are being thrown
into packers rendering tanks daily
because. of War Food Administra-
ton regulations limiting the time
such products can be stored, he
added.
THE VIA and leaselend officials
should consult with our Allies and
require them to take their share of
the edible offals, and not just the
choice cuts, leaving the bulk of the
of1al to the people here at home"
The same committee heard a fore
cast by ]. H. Meek, director Of the
Virginia State Division of Markets,
that present price and rationing
policies threatened q general meat
shortage within four or flve
months" He recommended higher
prices for producers and a rationing
holiday
Calls Ceilings Too Low.
Mr.. Meek declared that support
prices and ceilings have been held
too low, while feed and other pro-
ducing costs have gone up sharply.
He said many livestock producers
have become discouraged and pre-
dicted that this years hog produc-
tion. as a result, may fall off In
the East as much as IS per cent.
At the same time, Donald Mont
gomery. representing the United
Automobile Workers and the CIO,
told Senate agriculture subcom-
mittee that the proposed Aiken
La Toilette food stamp bill was a
snare and delusion-that it would
never benefit low-income families
because there is not a chance in
the world that Congress will give
those families the money they need
to buy enough food"
Subsidies Declared Necessary.
Mr.. Montgomery charged that
Grover Hill, assistant to War Food
Administrator Marvin Jones, and
Charles w. Holman, secretary of
the National Council of Milk Pro-
ducers' Co-operatives, were back
ing the stamp plan because they
see a chance in. this measure to
effectively destroy the adrlinistra-
tons subsidy program"
Subsidies are absolutely neces-
sary as safeguard against infla-
tion," said Mr.. Montgomery.
Martin H. Miller of the Brother
hood Of Railroad Trainmen also
the stamp plan, saying it
made no provision to control prices.
Pork Supply Plentiful.
you will remember" Mr. Bowles
said ip his radio address, that
have been cautioning you every
month since September to expect
higher point values for meat in
February and March. Because Of
small supplies and the
growing demands of the
Army and Navy. these higher point
values on meat probably will have
to be continued-with occasional
ups and downs-throughout the
spring"
Pork cuts, Mr.. Bowles indicated,
may not be affected in the upward
revision of meat values. He said
pork is still plentiful in most areas
and Will continue to be plentiful
during February"
There will be changes both up
and down" in the processed foods
point chart for next month, the
administrator said.
February point values on both
processed foods and meats will be
announced by OPA later this week