Evening star., 1946-09-28
Meat
Continued From First Page. )

scrap its order restoring June 80
price ceilings on restaurant meat
meals. Higher ceilings will be set
next week
/ End of Shortage Predicted.
/ Meanwhile, Geoffrey Baker, deputy
OPA administrator, predicted the
meat shortage will begin to ease
up in two to four weeks.
Mr.. Baker said in a radio address
that there is good reason to expect
improved supplies in both beef and
pork beginning with the latter part
of October
Mr.. Baker said he based this fore
cast on expectations that fall runs
of cattle and hogs to market will get
underway soon.
AS for the effect of price controls
on supply, Mr.. Baker had this to
say:
Price control on meat does not
reduce the total supply that will be
available to consumers until the
end of the short supply period.
"On the contrary. it should act
ually increase the total amount.
With predictable prices, farmers and
ranchers will be able to plan for
better herds and droves.
Paying Price for Glut.
"The livestock that will come to
market will be adequately fattened
Each individual animal will pro-
vide more meat under CELL
ing prices, you'll not only get as
many steaks and roasts as you would
without them, you'll actually get
more"
There is shortage now, Mr..
Baker continued, because I'VE are
paying the price for the glut of
meat we had during July and Au-
gust when we had no price control -
Wait-and- See Attitude.
Restaurant men adopted wait
andsee attitude on the meat price
action.
Members Of the National Restau-
rant Association declined to claim
victory until they learn just how
much of an increase the pricing
agency will offer at sessions be-
ginning next week-probably Tues
day.
Walter F. Clark, association pres
ident, said at Chicago that OPAs
announcement docs not necessarily
mean that the requests of the res
taurant industry have been satisfied"
until the members know what OPA
intends to do, he added:
1--WE stand ready and willing to
meet with OPA officials but we will
continue to pursue every legal action
against the rollback order that we
have planned up TO now"
Robert Wilson, Washington secre-
tary for the association, said key
Spokesmen will return to Wash
ington for discussion of the uni
form Nation wide price increase
OPA promised yesterday.
At Financial Disadvantage.
In announcing abandonment of
its hold-the-line stand, OPA ex-
planned it was influenced by the
price differences between meat
meals and those containing decon-
trolled items such as fish, poultry
and dairy products.
1t also conceded that steak and
chop houses and other eating places
specializing in meats were at a dis
tinct financial disadvantage.
When serving fish, poultry or other
control-free commodities, the res
taurant owners are allowed to base
prices on actual cost paid for the
item, plus usual profit margins.
Under the June 80 rollback plan
for meat meals, restaurants COM
planned they were allowed to use
only June 80 costs, although meat
ceilings h>d been raised since then.
OPA officials gave no indication
OF how much Of an increase they
would allow on the meat meals.
Until the higher meat meal CELL
ings are announced, OPA said, the
June 30 price remains in effect.
Same Decision Probable.
While Mr.. Thompson refused to
make any fat predictions on what
the Decontrol Board may decide if
it receives a formal petition for re-
moval of meat ceilings, he did say:
If we had to do the same job
again, and If we had to make our
decision on the basis of the same set
of circumstances we had before us
on August 20, under the law we
would have to make the same deci-
sion again.
THE criteria Congress set up for
us would permit no other decision. >"
Agrees With Truman on Cause.
Mr.. Thompson said he is in agree
ment with President Truman that
present scarcity is due to heavy
slaughter of cattle and hogs during
July and August when controls
were off.
The board chairman said it would
be at least November and perhaps
December before packers petitions
for decontrol, now being prepared,
could reach the three-man high
court.
Ring lordner, Jr., to Wed