The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-07-09
MEAT PACKERS SAY
SUPPLY SHORT
Continued from Page One)

since supply lines may be inter-
rupted or campaigns changed.
Most of the Army meat is boned,
packed and frozen for quick hand
ling and shipment to any place it
may be wanted. That's where
lot of the beef is going.
However, packer representatives
in Wilmington also claim that
there are too many customers
Army needs are not by any means
the whole story of the beef short
age, according to Mr.. Cameron.
Increased civilian demands play a
big part.
A brewer recently said that it
wasn't fair to complain about the
beer shortage" The trouble is
not too little beer but too many
drinkers. That's part of the beef
problem-too many people want
more than their normal share. And
there isn't enough to go around.
Mr.. Cameron went on to explain
that good beef normally is one of
the higher priced meats. Most peo-
pie would like to have it more
often if they thought they could
afford it. Studies show that as
families rise the demand for beef
increases faster than the demand
for pork. In the past two years
the incomes of most families have
risen quite lot. In many families
most people are working and their
pay checks are larger than usual.
That means a bigger demand for
beef and particularly for the bet
ter cuts. When that sort of thing
happens in normal times, the nat
ural result is for the price of beef
to go up.
When more people want any,
thing and can afford to pay for
it the people who make it and sell
it can get more for it and usually
do. To prevent this from happen
ing items like these are put under
price control. This kept them mod
crate in price, but Of course, it
didn't make them go any further.
The cuts most wanted have to be
rationed that is distributed even
ly, so that every family could get
some, though most families could
get all they wanted.
That is the second part of the
shortage story-too many buyers,
well able to Fay the price set by
OPA and anxious for more meat
than usual. Even if there weren't
any beef going to the Army, meat
packers clam there probably
would still not be enough to cover
the civilian demand.
Now, a third element has come
into the picture. This is the ten
dency of livestock raisers to do
less grain feeding of cattle, and
to sell more animals loft the
grass" in a somewhat thin and
unfinished" condition. 7 h S
means that the average steer 60
ing to market weighs less and pro-
duces less meat; and particularly.
fewer of these animals will pro-
duce meat of high quality. To I'M
derstand this, it must be realized
that beef cattle production normal
ly takes place in two stages. One
is the primarily raising of the live
stock usually in large herds on
the ranches and range lands OF
the west and southwest Texas
New Mexico, Wyoming and Mon
tana and the Pacific Coast states,
Mr.. Cameron explained. The other
is the feeding and Finishing of
the cattle in the grain lands OF
the farm belt, and to some extent
in the. eastern and southeastern
states. Cattle must have grain, and
some supplementary feed to make
top quality beef, but unless it is
possible for the corn belt feeder"
to take the grass cattle and finish
them, he will drop out of this bust