Evening star., 1946-07-20
Further Cut in Price
OF Meat, Poultry
And Butter Forecast

And Butter Forecast
A prediction that meat, poultry
and butter prices, which have been
tapering off this week, will be still
nearer normal next week came today
from Robert j. Wilson, executive
secretary of the Washington Res
taurant Association.
Mr.. Wilson said the first three
weeks without OPA price regulation
have shown that the restaurant in
oustry of the Capital area is able
successfully to combat abnormal
price increases by refusing to buy
foods being offered at unusually
high prices.
The restaurant industry realizes
its responsibility to the general pub
lie and is doing everything possible
to hold down prices" he said.
Branch houses of the big packers,
suppliers of a large portion of the
city's meat, are looking for increased
meat shipments next week.
Large shipments would help bring
some price stability to the local
market, which already is reported
by some wholesalers as sluggish"
Meat supplies in hands of hotel
supply houses and independent
wholesalers have been above aver
age, but the prices have been high.
With consumers refusing to pay
excessive prices for meat, many
retailers. in turn, are slowing down
on their purchasing from jobbers
according to sources in the in
dustry.
But until shipments pickup con-
siderably TO the three large pack
ing houses here-Armour, Swift and
Cudahy-meat will not be plenti-
full.
A Federal market analysis in New
York reported yesterday that meat
wholesalers who operated in the
black market before OPA expired
are dumping large stocks of choice
beef at prices far below those Of
maj jor packers and are taking losses
of cents pound in some cases.
c. F. House. Agriculture Depart
pent analyst, described the whole
sale beef market as practically
demoralized."
Suggestion Given Housewives.
c. M. Foster, president of John
Morrell g. Co., large meat packers
at Sioux Falls, S. OAK, yesterday
told American housewives they can
drive meat prices lower by refraining
from buying.
Two things will work to drive
meat prices to lower levels-in-
creased supplies or decreased de-
mand," he said.
This is a good time TO remind
the housewife that she can refrain
from buying. In effect, she has the
power to drive prices lower. When
prices are abnormally high, people
can discriminate in their purchases
or buy substitutes or do without. I
believe they should"
Meanwhile. consumers of cooper
atively owned stores at Greenbelt,
Nd, yesterday were urged to reduce
purchases of high priced food items
in a statement by Samuel F. Ashel-
man, jr., general manager of the
Greenbelt Consumer Services.
Signs Placed in Stores.
Reporting on the overall food
prices picture in the community
since the end of OPA, Mr.. Ashelman
stressed that refusal to buy unrea-
sonably priced commodities will
help force down the retail cost"
He said the signs calling atten-
tion to the unreasonable" prices of
certain items are being placed over
such items for sale in the food store.
He said it is the policy of the Con-
Sumer Service to refrain from buy
ing commodities on the wholesale
market if such items are felt to
be too high when first offered. In
the event prices remain high, he
added, the items are purchased for
retail sale if there is sufficient con-
sumner demand.
The National Federation Of Tele-
phone Workers, in a statement is
sued here, served notice that I'VE
propose no short demonstration for
few hours or days. but continu-
ing program remaining in operation
until price controls are restored and
prices rolled back, or until prices
are forced back by refusal of con-
sumers to buy"
The union warned that even if
prices level off at the present point,
a 25 per cent raise in wages would
be needed to offset the increases.
This means requests for reopening
of contracts" the statement added.
At an anti-inflation rally last
night at Poughkeepsie, N. Y, Walter
Reuther, president of the CIOI
United Automobile Workers, urged
listeners ito break imitation by put
ting terror into the hearts of rack
eteerS and profiteers by refraining
from buying designated commodi-
ties