Evening star., 1945-06-03
Nearby Cattle
Offered Hotels
At Illegal Prices
7 Coils Received
In One Day, LocoI
Wholesaler Saws

Some livestock producers in rural
areas near Washington have been
attempting to unload their cattle on
local wholesalers and hotels at above
ceiling prices, but to date have been
turned down, a representative of the
industry disclosed last night.
This wholesaler said that he had
received seven telephone calls in one
day from producers anxious to sell
their livestock on the hoof-provid-
ed they could get their price.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for an
association of some 500 wholesalers
and nonslaughtering meat process
sors claimed yesterday that the
OPA's new fair distribution" pro-
gram would not give consumers any
more meat. The program directs
packers to follow the same distribu-
ton pattern to counties and cities
as they used in the first three
months of 1914.
Legitimate Shipments.
Joseph B. Danzansky, general
counsel of the National Association
of Nonslaughtering Meat Professors
and Wholesalers, predicted that the
order would mot bring one ounce
more meat to the housewives table
than she is now getting" What is
needed, he said, is order directing
packers to ship meat to legitimate
wholesalers and professors who were
engaged in business before the war,
rather than the plan for county,
wide distribution.
In the meantime, an encouraging
note of civilian meat consumers
was sounded yesterday when the
War Food administration an
nounced that beginning today the
percentages of Federaly inspected
beef and pork set aside for Govern
ment use will be reduced. This is
expected to result in a slightly
larger quantity" for civilian mar
kets, it was said.
The VIA action is designed prin-
cipally to make available to civil
ians the amount of meat previously
allotted them for the April-June
quota, which was at the annual per
capita rate of about lis pounds
dressed-weight basis.
Hits Selection of Base.
Mr.. Danzansky said that alloca-
tion by geographical area does not
prevent major packers from ship
ping greater proportion of meat
to their own branch houses than
before and does not prevent them
from shipping to favored hotel and
retail outlets"
He added that the plan will not
stop 'illegitimate slaughterers from
gouging the public through illegiti-
mate wholesale or retail channels" !"
He also criticized the OPA's selec-
ton of the first quarter of 1914 as a
base, asserting that every one in the
meat industry knows that the last
nearly typical period was the year
Immediately preceding october,
1912"
In connection with reported at
tempts of farmers to unload their
cattle here, Mr.. Danzansky pointed
out that some producers until last
month had been selling their cattle
above the ceiling to small non-Fed-
orally inspected slaughterers en-
gagged in the black market. Since
then, however, the OPA has can
celed all outstanding permits Of
non-Federal packers and set up
new system of registration.
11,000 Fail to Register.
Thus. some producers of livestock
have been denied their usual market
for illegal meat, it was explained.
In this connection, it was learned
that some 1000 -Federally in
spected slaughterers have failed to
register under the OPA's new pro-
gram, which went into effect May ID.
Price Administrator Chester Bowles
has informed members of Congress
that of the 25,436 commercial
slaughtering permits Cancelled, only
1920 have registered anew with
the OPA to May 25.
mo doubt some of those who have
not registered still intend to do so.
1t is safe to say, however, that the
great majority of the 1000 which
failed to apply had been operating
in the black market" he declared.
He points out that the legitimate,
established non-Federally, although
operating henceforth under a quota,
will be rid "of this chiseling black
market competition"
Shortage in Spreads.
Roland M. Brennan, District pur-
chasing officer, said yesterday he ex-
pected to receive only $4,000 pounds
of the $1,000 pounds of meat need
ed this month for Washington in
stitutions. He said the institutions
would manage to get along some
how"
Shortage of oleomargarine has
promoted Mr.. Brennan to issue a
circular to hospitals and institutions
asking them to ''improvise" through
use of jellies and jams for bread.
There is a limited supply of butter
available for hospital patients only,
Mr.. Brennan warned, however,
that due to shortage of sugar
there may be much smaller guam
titles of jellies and jams on the mar
ket in the near future" He in
formed institutions that he has been
told there is no oleomagarine avail
able anywhere" but to check further
Mr.. Brennan has contacted COM
merce editors in New York to find
out what conditions prevail else
where.
District institutions have been
placed on two-meatless days, but
chickens have been obtained for
Sunday dinners at hospitals.
I(1 W>I> lAf AVE