Evening star., 1946-07-11
.0PAUncertainty
Cuts Meat Flow,
Dealers Say
Forecast of 500
Jump in Prices
Of Beef Doubted


certainty about congressional action
on future controls is keeping much
meat from reaching Washington
consumers despite some increase in
the supply, in the opinion of deal
ers here.
Denying that prices of beef are
headed for the so per cent jump
forecast in OPA circles as a result
OF cord-breaking livestock quota
tlons at Chicago this week, pack
ing establishment and chain store
spokesmen estimated that some
wholesale meat costs in this area
are from Is to 20 per cent higher
than last week.
AS result retailers are not buy
ing much more meat at this time
because they fear that a sudden
price drop would leave them hold
ing the bag" it was said.
Supply Up Slightly.
Moreover, according to this ex-
planation, the wholesale supply
though more plentiful than a week
ago is still insufficient to meet the
normal consumer demand. As
evidence of the more plentiful
supply coming into the Washington
market, storage company Official
reported that several cars of meat
Tor storage are now arriving where
as no meat was available for stor-
age last week. A hotel and restau-
rant supply company reported ar
rivals OF 15 carloads in recent days
as compared with only three last
week.
Another factor in the compare.
lively slow pickup in the retail
meat supply, spokesman for the
Independent Food Distributors As
soclation of Washington said. is that
the major packers such as Swift,
Armour and Cudahy are not yet
buying or shipping in large ouanti-
ties from the Midwest.
He as we'll as Joseph Danzansky,
counsel for the meat division of the
Merchants and Manufacturers As
soclatlon, estimated that wholesale
price levels are from about Is to 80
per cent higher. This, they added,
is not an 1nf1ationary boost but lust
about covers the former subsidies"
A representative of one of the larg-
est craln store companies concurTed
IN the opinion that many Washing
ton retailers having pledged to ad-
here to former OPA ceilings as long
as possible, are not buying meat at
prices far greater than the former
ceilings.
More Lamb and Pork,
The meat supply, according to in.
formal surveys by the Independent
Food Distributors Association and
the local office of the National As.
soclation of Retail Grocers. has been
confined pretty much to lamb and
pork during the last few DAYS. with
very little beef" Although COM
prehensive retail price information
was not available because of the
confused national picture" officials
OF the two organizations declared
that except in scattered instances
the retail meat dealers here have not
advanced prices as high as the esti-
mated maximum of 80 per cent to
cover removal of subsidies.
! Another shoppers move to inves.
I tigate price trends was started TODAY
when committee appointed by the
Executive Committee of the Hill
crest Citizens Association began 4
survey of neighborhood stores. The
association stated that 1T was the
sentiment of the committee that
some definite steps should be taken
to indicate to the merchants that
unreasonable increases in prices
would not be tolerated"
Consumers entered increasingly
into the food supply situation here
today as the Citizens Price De-
tense Committee, claiming repre-
sentation from so organizations, pre-
pared for todays buyers strike
from noon to 2 pm and 4 to 6 pm.
The committee said it had distributed
more than $4,000 leaflets urging
consumers not to buy anything to-
day and thus to convince Congress
that Washington people want real
protection against higher prices for
food, clothing and mechanical
equipment
! Many Complaints Reported.
The clearing house for COM
plants, sponsored by the Washing
ton Chapter of the American Vet
Grams Committee, announced that it
received about so calls yesterday and
several this morning from persons
> citing instances of food prices they
believed unWarranted
Preliminary study of these COM
plants indicate that meat is easier
to find than at any time in the last
two weeks. the committee head
quarters said. The complaints re-
ceived thus far are isolated in
stances, including reported charges
of 78 cents a pound for hamburger
as compared with an earlier ceiling
OF % cents, and from ST to $185 q
pound for steak. it was explained.
There is no evidence of drop in
milk consumption as result of the
recent price increase. Bruce B
Derrick, manager of the Maryland
and Virginia Milk Producers Asso-
citation, said.