Evening star., 1945-06-09
Meat Shortage to
Last UntI Fall,
|Dapis Declares
By Catherine X. HambIey

Though relief Of the meat short.
age cannot be expected Immediately
William Davis, director, ONCE ol
Economic Sterilization, yesterday
voiced his faith in plans adopted By
Government agencies in solving the
situation in time.
At a meeting of the Washington
League Of Women Shoppers Mr.. Da-
Wis asserted that, though there
may be change in appearance o1
distribution" nothing can actually
be done to increase the meat supply
to consumers for several months
Pigs are born in the spring and are
not ready for market. until fall
Grass-fed cattle are on the range
and will only be slaughtered later
in the summer. However, food pro.
duction in America is greater thar
ever before in history, with beef
production expected to be S per cent
greater this year than last.
In clarifying the Governments
plan, he reviewed major points and
emphasized that the main trouble
has been lack Of confidence In the
Government on the part of pork
producers. who produce so per cent
OF the total meat supply. A year
ago, after assurances that floor
prices would hold. hog producers
woke up to find that floor prices
had collapsed. Fearing this reoccur-
ance, they have held back. The
program now gives and will further
give farmers assurance that satis-
factory support and ceiling prices
will be maintained through the fall
of 1916.
The second problem, he continued,
has concerned packers. Nice profits"
OF former times have been cut down
because of low production of pork.
resulting from Federal suggestion
to slash production at least 10 per
cent. The director expressed con-
hdence that subsidies, recently in
creased and also covering choice
cattle giving A and AA cuts, will be
ample to assure fair profits.
Other toe stumpers are feeders
complaints. To do business they
must know what profits to expect
and that price ceilings will be main
tanned before fattening animals in
feeding lots. The director voiced
the opinion that so cent subsidy will
prove adequate in this case.
He stressed, however, that "the
great single instrument in control
ling the shortage, increasingly worse
since last fall. Is honest use of red
ration stamps by consumers. He
added that honest consumers pro-
tect honest retailers, and so forth
down the line to packers and pro-
ducers. The main object is ito har-
ness honest elements to throw weight
behind program which will gather
as it succeeds"
His address was send-off to the
organizations part in the coming
Fight Imitation Week. The group
has organized a Fight Initiation
Caravan" The caravan, including
representatives of womens organi-
cations, Is composed of volunteers
who will distribute literature and
answer questions on price control
and black market, ETC., for house.
wives throughout the city beginning
Monday.
Following the program, Mrs
Kathleen R. Cliff and Mrs. Laura
Somers, former head of the Leejs-
lative Committee, were reelected
president and assistant to the presi-
dent. Others elected are: Mrs. Toni
Wilson, executive secretary; Mrs
Eleanor Aaron, consumer chairman:
Mrs. Frances Lichtenberg, legisla-
tive chairman; Mrs. Helen Leeffler
labor chairman: Mrs. Anita Sufrin.
housing chairman; Mrs. Arlyne
White, membership chairman; Mrs,
Priscilla Deonngelis, arrangements
chairman: Mrs. Beverly Davis, pub
licity chairman; Mrs. Frances Hurst,
bulletin editor; Mrs. Estelle Duke.
corresponding secretary: Mrs. Mir
lam Sachs, treasurer; Mrs. Ashc
Craine, Mrs. Diantha Nelson and
Mrs. Mary Timms, members at
large.