Evening star., 1945-03-18
Meat and Tires Cut:
Bedrock Levels for
Civilians Planned
Leuse-Lend Food
Shipments Reduced;
Russiu Gets More
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

By JAMES Y. NEWTON.
The Government last night
announced a IL per cent cut in
civilian meat supplies and a 81
per cent slash in automobile tire
allocations as alarmed officials,
fearing the impact of shrinking
supplies of essentials on the war
effort, hastened plans to set
bedrock" levels for the civilian
economy
The civilian meat diet will be re-
duced to the lowest point in 10
years by the order taking effect
April /. There will be considerably
less of the major meats-beef and
pork-although somewhat more
veal, lamb and mutton. The War
Food Administration allotted meat
to civilians for the April, May, June
quarter at the rate of only lis
pounds per person year, compared
with l30 pounds in the current
quarter and 1914 average of lat
pounds.
Lease-Lend Meat Shipments Cut.
At the same time, substantial
reduction" was made in lease-lend
meat shipments to protect civilian
and military supplies. Shipments
from April through June will be
held to 325 100000 pounds. Russia
will get 3000OO,00 pounds of this
slightly more than at present-un-
der long-standing agreement. The
remaining 25,000,000 pounds will go
to Great Britain. This is 871a per
cent below present levels. Presum-
ably the heavy cut was based on the
theory that British reserves are
sufficient to sustain the country
without great assistance
The Office of Price Administra-
ton reported that only 100000
passenger tires will be available for
rationing in April, as compared with
100000 this month. This will
reduce the monthly quota of tires
to the lowest point in more than a
year, and admittedly cause hard
ship since demand for replacements
currently is at the highest point
of the war
Meanwhile, it was learned that
the War Production Board, acting
to avert serious impairment of the
home e-front war effort, have begun
discussions with military officials
in an effort to fix limits below which
supplies of civilian essentials would
not be allowed to fall regardless of
military urgency. Discussed so far
were minimums for clothing, par
ticularly work clothes. shoes and
other economic necessities such as
car tires. batteries and general re-
pair parts.
Shoe Minimums Set.
Along this line, it was revealed
that WPB turned down military de-
mands for leather in the next three
months that would have reduced
production of adult civilian leather
shoes to about a quarter-pair per
person a year
Military requirements were re-
duced. WPB set minimums for
men at one and a quarter pairs a
year and one pair of leather shoes
for women. These would be aug
mented by about 35,000,000 to 40
100000 pairs of special leather work
shoes and unrationed special types
for women. Minimum for children
was placed at 21a pairs a year.
Food official added to the dark
outlook for meat by stating that
"the end of the war in Europe will
not materially affect the meat sit
uation and will result neither in
lighter military demands nor in
increased civilian supplies"
VIA said the cut in civilian
meats was necessitated by increased
military requirements and lowered
total supplies, which are per cent
less than during the first quarter"
1t was added that supplies will con-
tinue to be shorter and no sub
stantial Improvement can be ex-
pected before the fall months when
livestock marketing seasonally in
creases.''
1t was indicated that the April
cut in number of tires available for
car owners would be continued to
a lesser extent in May and June.
OPA said that WPB explained that
a shortage of the vital synthetic
rubber ingredient carbon black
made necessary sharp reduction in
civilian tire production. New ia