Evening star., 1945-01-16
Food Supplies
Found Declining
Despite Controls
Butter, Sugar, Meat,
Chickens Reported
At Lowest Levels
BY MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.

supplies OF butter, chicken, meat
and sugar were reported by the food
industry here today to be the lowest
since rationing began despite tighter
rationing controls which have been
in effect on butter and sugar for
three weeks and on most meats for
more than two weeks.
The Office of Price Administration
which ordered the ration changes in
order to better distribute short com.
modities maintains, however, that it
is yet too early to note any effects
on the general food picture.
Since December 26, when the first
OF the ration changes went into
operation, buying has been heavy.
This is believed to be due to two
factors: ID Grocers may be accept
ing large numbers of invalid cou-
pons and (2D consumers, no longer
certain whether OPA will cancel
other stamps, are buying to the limit
of their ration books
Butter Very Scarce.
This is the food situation for
Washington as reported by various
segments of the industry:
Even with butter calling for "a red
points, it remains very scarce. The
supply should not improve MATERIAL
ly before May or even June. Butter
receipts here are about so per cent
under last year at this time.
Egg supplies are off sharply re-
sulting from depletion of cold stor-
age stocks and Tremendous" de-
mand from consumers who are using
eggs as a substitute for meat.
Only "trickle" of chickens is
coming in from Western producing
areas not affected by the War Food
Administration freeze. While two
poultry dealers have closed down,
the remaining dealers continue
limited operations, selling ducks and
geese and what little chicken the
Army turns down.
Hotels and restaurants face a
problem as cold storage stocks of
chickens drop. Chicken and fish
have been mainstays on many
menus.
Meat Supplies Tighter.
Meat SUPPLIES are tighter than ever
before, and the dearth is not GEN.
tered on beef alone. Lamb and veal
and some pork are hard to find A
typical display at meat counters
these days is scrapple. liver pudding
and beef and pork liver. Bacon is
quickly sold when it makes an ap-
pearance.
Sugar was reported very low by
one large retailer. VIA expects it
to remain tight for most of 1945.
Canned goods. particularly vege-
tables, and fresh produce are ade-
Iquate to meet demand. One food
authority observed that canned
goods were coming out of hiding
now that they have been placed back
on rationing.
An interesting sidelight on the
meat shortage is seen in the Agricul-
.Iture Department marketing report
! that fresh green's are not selling
well, believed to be due to the lack
of meat and fats for seasoning.
I A WA official points out that the
butter shortage is not peculiar to
Washington but is evident every
where" He said stocks were as low
as they have ever been and he
predicted no improvement before
summer.
| Slaughter Goals Increased.
| Meanwhile, growing concern over
meat supplies was reflected in the
WAS final figures on agricultural
production goals for 1945 announced
today. The agency called for the
slaughter of $4,000, 900 head of cattle,
compared with 33900,O00 last year,
The final goal for spring pig
slaughter was 1883 900; last year
it was SIS 5,925 900.
! VIA said that because of recent
changes in needs. the 1945 egg goal
was increased about 10 per cent
over the preliminary goal and was
fixed at 4,350,000,000 dozen. State
recommended goals for chickens
totaled 745,800, 900, the same as esti-
mated production in 1914.
In a statement, Food Adminis-
traitor Marvin Jones declared that:
I'VE are again asking for all-out
production. I am confident
that the year 1945 will be another
Zone of splendid farm achievement"
Final crop acreage goals, repre-
senting the total of goals agreed
upon by farmers, farm leaders and
State agricultural officials, are about
the same as recommended by VIA
last November. This was 1863 ,635 900
acres.