The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-13

A lot of star witnesses were present, but the Army, represented bv Mai. Gen. Carl Hardigg of the Quartermaster Corps, chiefly took it on the chin.
 War Food Chief Marvin Jones started the ball rolling when he produced figures showing that last year, when meat was plen- tiful, the Army gummcd up the works by failing to take any where near the quantity allo- cated to it. In the fourth quar- ter of 1944, the Army had asked for one and a quarter billion pounds of meat. Actually the Army took half billion pounds less.
 That, according to the closed- door testimony, was the chief req son why ration points on meat were dropped last year and the housewives. got a windfall. The public then got back to the habit of eating meat. But today, With meat far less plentiful. the Army has ordered even more than al- located to it last year.
 General Hardigg was unable to satisfy the congreSmen as to why the Army failed to take uP its meat last year, or at least failed to put it in cold storage for la ter use. Had this been done Army demands would now be much smaller. General HardlsC also was asked to report back to Congress on meat consumption per soldier in the British Army, also in the Russian Army. Congress- men also asked Hardigg to report on how much meat was consumed by U. s. troops overseas, as cont pared with that consumed by troops in the United States.
 RELAXED MEAT INSPECTION
 One proposal to east the meat shortage is to abolish federal in- spection in small local slaughter houses. These slaughterers have to pass state inspection anyway, and most of them are thorough ly reputable. But to sell inter- state they must pass federal in. spection, so many now sell only within state limits. This is one reason why cattle-raising states are experiencing no meat short- age today.
 General Hardigg, however, sat on the idea of relaxing federal inspection. He argued that fed eral inspection must continue. War Food Chief Jones and War Mobilizer Vinson were not in1- pressed with Hardigg's argument.
 II never tasted federally in- spected meat until l was in my
 twenties," scoffed Texas bred Jones.
 Out in Kentucky we did all right without federally inspect ed meat" VinsOn agreed. Il never had it until was out of my teens"
 Rep. Anderson of Albuquerque, New Mexico, chairman of the committee, then took General Hardigg to task for the Army's system of poultry buying.
 Out my way, where we've got plenty of meat" Anderson said, "the Army isn't interested in buying poultry. Here in the
 East, where meat IS scarce you're taking all the poultry.
 Why not spread your poultry
 buying so that in areas where
 the public has 9 hard time get-
 ting meat it can at least get . little poultry"
 He pointed out that the Army is taking 100 per cent of the poultry in the Delmarva area Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Vinson supported Anderson, telling Hardigg: ''Try to work that out with the War Food Adminis- tration, General"
 MYSTERIOUS WALL STREET SUICIDE
 Early this week, Leon Fraser head of the First National B'-nk of New York. popular, able, ir the prime of his life, went up te his old boyhood home in New York state, carefully penned three notes, and shot himself. In ont note. he said: Except for thu mental depression, have every thing to live for, good frienda lovely business associates, and good future In this world witl 4innmclal case.