Evening star., 1946-09-05
Severe Meat Shortage
Predicted in District
By Middle Of Week !

wholesale meat dealers here
today warned Of q severe meat
shortage which they predicted
would hit Washington consumers
by the middle of next week.
A spot check of retail stores, how
ever, showed enough meat, except
pork products, on hand to last at
least through this week end.
A gloomy picture of the local
meat supply situation was painted
by Raymond Briggs, chairman Of
the wholesale meat division of the
Merchants and Manufacturers
Association, who predicted that by
the end Of next week the situation
would be tougher than it ever has
BEEN"
He said that receipts of meat to
jobbers and wholesalers probably
would drop to a mere trickle next
Monday and Tuesday-two of the
busiest days In the wholesale meat
business In normal times.
A sharp drop this week in ar
rivals of livestock at the big Mid
western slaughter centers will begin
to be felt In Washington in a mat
ter Of days, experts said.
Farmers Not Selling.
Mr.. Briggs said farmers were not
selling their cattle at present cell.
ings placed In operation last Sun
day by OPA.
None Of the retailers checked to-
day could say whether they would
receive new supplies of meat next
week.
AS wholesale meat ceilings went
into effect today, OPA served no.
tice it was ready to prevent large
inventories stored in New York
Chicago and other large cities from
moving out of storage at black
market prices.
Monday will find meats back un-
der ceilings in retail stores.
Outlining plans for a stepped up
drive against price violators in
food, automobiles, clothing, rents
and other controlled commodities
George Moncharsh, deputy price ad-
ministrator in charge of enforce
ment, told a news conference yester-
day that OPA will have between
5000 and 5000 investigators on the
job by next month.
He said the agency was watching
a number of concerns in a number
of cities where OPA has a record
Of Substantial supplies of meat
purchased at inflated prices and
awaiting sale when meat supplies
become scarce.
Such Dealers Get No Sympathy.
Mr.. Moncharsh said the meat
would move to butcher shops at CELL
ing prices "or not at ALL" even
though the concerns take an awful
licking" if they sell the meat at
controlled prices.
The ohicial said he found no evil
dence of boarded meat in Washing
ton.
Meanwhile, reports from Chicago
told Of all former low-volume rec
ords being broken yesterday when
only 1900 cattle, TOO hogs, 800 sheer
and lambs arrived. Nearly all ot
the 5000 pens were empty.
Most Of the cattle received fol
slaughter were dried-up COWS, which
stockyard experts said offered q
highly unappetizing type Of meat for
consumers. It was the same story In
hogs. The same experts said there
was not a good pork chop In the lot.
The number OF salable cattle ar
riving at IL major Midwestern mar
kets the first three days OF this week
totaled $1,000, as contrasted with
246, 500 head during the same period
last week. ..
On another price front the Price
Decontrol Board met yesterday for
a review of dairy price trends, but
apparently found no marked in
creases to justify action bringing
milk and dairy products back to
ceilings. A spokesman said the
board does not, at present, plan to
call q hearing on the subject.
OPA announced yesterday that it
was suspending price control on face
powder. face cream, foundation
cream, lipstick and similar cosmetics
that sell for Is cents or less an item
Price control was suspended also
on this miscellaneous list of items
All tire reliners; tire boots and
patches made from scrap material;
tire valves; pastes and cements used
for linoleum and wall coverings; and
a variety of medical goods and drug
sundries including medical gloves
aprons and hard rubber goods, op-
Grating cushions, rubber tubing and
stopples.
Venetian blind ceilings were
raised, Is per cent for steel blinds
and 20 per cent for those made OF
wood or fiber, effective September 10