Evening star., 1946-09-07
Meat

talk this morning by Godfrey
Baker. deputy OPA administrator
He predicted that meat probably
will be scarce after the ceilings 60
in effect.
I'VE may as well face the fact
there is not enough meat for every
body to get all he wants of every
kind" Mr.. Baker said in a broadcast
at which he substituted for Mr.. Por-
ter. And the fact that we've already
eaten part of the supply that would
| be coming IN during the next few
months-if the removal of ceilings
hadn't rushed it in earlier-ag-
gravates the situation"
In the opinion of Raymond. Briggs
of L. S. Briggs Co., chairman of the
meat division of the Merchants and
Manufacturers Association, the new
ceilings may be nice to look at, but
they wont mean thing because
there won't be much meat"
He quoted today's trade reports
from many sections of the country
indicating that livestock shipments
are the lowest on record" This is
certain to be felt soon in warehouses
and retail stores, he said.
The pinch" probably will not be
felt here for another week, Jerry
johnson, manager of the Terminal
Refrigerating g. Warehouse Co,
said. He said meat supplies in hand
here now should 60 through next
week, but no additional shipments
in quantity are in prospect. He said
his firm has no carload arrivals
scheduled for next week.
1T is risky to try to say how
soon a meat shortage my develop
here" he explained, but there is
general feeling in the industry
that it will come within a week" ."
Meanwhile, the District OPA went
forward with plans to see that meat
dealers conform to the letter as
we'll as the spirit of the new cell
ing regulations Tuesday.
District OPA Director Vincent A.
Holmes announced today that his
augmented staff of Investigators, in
cluding 26 inspectors and 40 others
recently employed in the District
enforcement division on other duties,
are inspecting all meat markets and
marketing channels here.
$500 Recently Employed.
These are part of the $500 in
Vestigators recently employed by
OPA throughout the Nation ito
combat any return to Illicit dealings
in meat" Mr.. Holmes said. Most
OF them are war veterans. They
are under the direction of j. Ora
hame Walker, District OPA en-
forcement attorney.
"As activities of wholesalers, hotel
supply houses and retailers become
subject to price control" Mr.. Holmes
declared, "our augmented meat en-
forcement staff will investigate all
local levels of meat distribution,
and we will throw every investi-
eating employe of our District
enforcement staff into hitting so
hard against price violations at the
very beginning of ceiling reimposi-
ton as to make it definitely unat-
tractive for old or new handlers of
black market meat to return to this
form of unlawful trade"
At the same time, however
George Dressler, executive secretary
of the National Association of Re-
tail Meat Dealers, said restoration
of price controls on meat is "an in
vitation for the return of the black
market He predicted "the worst
meat shortage we've ever had" un-
less supplies can be brought to le-
gitimate markets in large quantities
The biggest boost in the new CELL
ing schedule on meat, above the
June 80 figure, is one of 18 cents a
pound on sliced Canadian bacon. In
creases of as much as Is cents q
pound were announced for other