Evening star., 1946-09-27

looked into it in detail. I am now.
and for some time have been, in
quiring into the present meat short
age.
I'm July and August, when there
was no price control on meat, meat
was abundant. Now there is price
control and meat is short. 1t Is
natural, therefore, for people to
blame the shortage on price control.
This line of reasoning is wholly
wrong.
Shortage Held Inevitable.
THE fact is that the present
shortage is due in large part to the
extraordinarily large slaughter in
July and August. Without price
control prices of the relatively short
supply of livestock went to unprece-
dented heights. A lot of livestock
was rushed to market because of
these prices and because it was
known that the controls were likely
to be restored. Many of these cattle
would normally have been fed to
heavier weights and come to market
during September and October in
stead of August.
Whether price control had been
restored or not, the glut of meat in
the summer was bound to mean a
shortage in the fall, especially on
the desirable cuts and grades. Be-
sides, with the restoration of price
controls after a period of uncer-
tainty and confusion, it was only
natural that livestock growers would
hesitate to send their animals to
market.
Producers would naturally hope
that something might happen to
give them higher prices again.
To the extent that livestock is going
into feed lots and being fed to
higher grades and better weights,
the result will be a greater guam
tity and better quality of meat in
the near future than would be the
case if there had been a further
continuance of the premature mar
keting of livestock. Also, the normal
run of grass-fed cattle which occurs
in the early fall should begin to
appear with a consequent improve
ment of meat supply.
Run of Hogs May Be Late.
THE fall run of hogs which nor
mally begins in October may sbe
somewhat later this year because of
the prospects for a record corn crop
and the resulting opportunity for
profit from feeding to heavier
weights. Ordinarily, the heaviest
hog slaughter occurs in the period
from October through February
during which over half the total
yearly slaughter customarily takes
place.
I'm spite of the outlook for tenn
porary relief in the next few months,
it is hard to predict what may hap
pen in the spring. 1t is very pos
sible that there may be periods in
various parts of the country when
meat is scarce. Certainly, however,
the dire predictions of meat fam
inc are without basis.
Il want to repeat that the Difficult
ties with our meat supply cannot be
laid to the door of price control.
If, as I had urged upon the Con-
gress, the price control legislation
had been re-enacted in the early
spring, many of these difficulties
would have been avoided. 1t Is
clear, however, that the present level
of livestock ceilings as determined
by the Secretary of Agriculture is a
fair and equitable one, and one
which should be sufficient to bring
forth the maximum production of
meat. An increase in prices or the
abandonment of price control on
meat now would, in the long run,
add to rather than solve our diff
culties."
Says Panic" Plan Is Possible.
Told that Representative SABBATH,
Democrat, of Illinois had charged
that meat packers are in "collusion"
to force removal of ceilings, Mr.
Truman observed that Mr.. SABBATH
lives in the meat center of Chicago
and should know the situation. But
the President said he knows moth
| ing Of such case and does not
think it exists.
On the other hand, when asked
| if he thought producers were hold
ing cattle of the market to insti-
gate panic" that would lead to
removal of ceilings, Mr.. Truman
again said he didn't know, but that
it was possible.