Evening star., 1945-04-23
Head Of Senate
Meat Probers
Hits New Plan
Thomas Charges OPA
Has Done Minimum
To Keep Packers Coin!
BY the Associated Press.

menUeQ. Inc oFA mas done JuSC al
little as 1t could to keep the packers
going"
To Trace Shipments.
Senator Thomas accepted a sug-
gestion by Senator Ellender, Demo-
crat, of Louisiana that the committee
trace meat consigned to Washing
ton in an effort to discover what
is happening to meat"
The big packers will be asked fol
figures on how much meat they
shipped here since October /, ano
which distributors got it. From the
distributors the trail is to be fol-
lowed to the corner butcher, some
of whom will be asked to show how
much they got, how much they sold
and for what prices.
Senator Ellender said whatever Is
turned up in the way of black mar
kets and maldistribution probably
would be indicative of what is hap.
pening in any other large city.
In addition to subsidies, the ad-
ministration program embodies new
controls intended to spread sup.
plies evenly.
Prices housewives pay for meat
are not affected.
Distribution Aided.
Noting that the packer would be
Government-assure against loss
Senator Thomas said:
This rule even protects the in.
efficient packer"
But he added, if the House ano
Senate meat inquiries, "and the
cooperation of the press and radio
led to this much, Il feel we have
done something"
F. E. Mollin, secretary of the
American Livestock Association
Denver, testified that the new or.
der would help distribution. But
he said it has a big hole in it
there is no provision for relief tt
the cattle feeder.
As result, Mr.. Mollin said, pack.
ers again will buy up and slaughter
calves this fall that ought to be ir
the feeder lots"
The subsidy program, announced
yesterday. may bring an early re.
opening of Washingtons three
slaughterhouses, closed in recent
weeks. Slaughterers said they
wished to study the program fully
before making a final decision or
resuming operations.
"All That Can Be Done"
A special subsidy from Defense
Supplies Corp. will be placed in op-
Grafton May !, Economic Stabiliza-
ton Director William H. Davis an
nounced, Ito make certain that nc
individual slaughterer who operat-
ed profitably in peacetime will be
compelled to discontinue operations
during the present critical period.
Mr.. Davis said while the program
will not give every one all the meat
he wants, with the support of the
producers and the public, however
the new program will solve the meat
problem in the sense of doing all
that can be done to increase our
total supply of meat and to bring
about the fairest possible distribu-
ton of that supply"
This program, he added, will ire
move the last vestige of excuse fol
either the sale or the purchase OF
meat at over-ceiling prices or with
out ration points. This having been
done, the full force of the Govern
ment will be brought to bear to wipe
out black market operations.
Strengthen Enforcement.
The OPA is Immediately assigning
500 additional investigators for en-
forcement of meat regulations ano
the agency's program of criminal
prosecution will be intensified with
the cooperation of the Justice De.
partment, Mr.. Davis disclosed.
American Meat Institute officials
in Chicago said:
1T will take little time to de-
termine just what effect the new
regulations will have. 1t is crafty
ing to have the OPA recognize there
is need for the changes the meat
industry has been urging, and that
prices required an adjustment"
The new distribution control.
provide for slaughter quotas for al
non-Federally inspected packing
houses, which handle 46 per cent ol
the meat supply. These quotas will
limit the animal kill of such houses
to their individual levels in 1914
based on the number of ration
points they surrendered to OPA.
Plan Determined by Prices.
II am sure this will appeal tc
everyone's sense of fair play" Mr.
Davis said. st is just retributior
that a slaughterer who has &C.
counted to the rationing authori-
ties for only part of his sales OF
rationed meat, should now find him.
self with a quota based exclusively
on his lawful sales"
Similar limitations have been
placed on the amount of dressed
meat farmer-slaughterers may sell
Also, they will be held to stricter
account for ration point collections
In addition to the special "break
even" subsidies announced by Mr.
Davis, all packers, beginning May l.
will be eligible for an increase OF
up to Is cents a hundred pounds in
the general subsidy paid for choice
good and commercial grades of cat
tie. This is in addition to 50-cent
increase granted April l. Both are
on a sliding scale basis, determined
by cattle prices.
OF the additional subsidies. $12,-
600, 900 will result from cancellation
of cut of so cents a hundred
pounds on choice cattle that had
been scheduled July 2. The cancel
lation also applies to planned re-
ductions by the same amount in the
overriding ceiling.
AS for pork, OPA said it will con-
tinue its analysis OF packers cost
data and hopes to determine soon
whether increased subsidies or price
ceiling increases are warranted. II
the study is not completed by May