Evening star., 1946-10-17
DC. Merchants Expect
To Get Meat tuesday
But Warn Of Shortage

Meat dealers looked forward today
to arrival of beef shipments next
Tuesday in the largest amount in
several weeks here but warned that
the supply will come nowhere meet
ing demand.
Poultry prices remained practical
Ily unchanged following drops OF Is
much as cents = pound reported
yesterday. Max T. Bresler, chair
man of the poultry division Of the
Merchants and Manufacturers As
sociation, said the poultry business
is not too good" He added, how
ever, that he expected no immediate
further decline in prices Of chickens
and turkeys.
No Rise in Supply.
While some kinds Of meat were
available on store counters In vari-
Gus parts of the city, spokesmen for
wholesalers and retailers declared
there has been no rise in the local
supply.
Paul D. Herman, president of the
District Grocery Stores Association,
declared practically all Of the more
than 200 stores in the organization
are clear out of meat" They ex-
pect first shipments Of beef next
Tuesday, but 1T certainly won't be
enough to 60 around"
Agreeing with q Department OF
Agriculture statement that meat
storage in the United States early
this month was the lowest on rec
ord. Jerry Johnson, manager of the
Terminal Refrigerating g. Ware
housing Co., said his establishment
has no meat in storage today.
~ Two-Week Delay Seen.
Shipments from the Midwest and
other areas are not. expected to ar
rive In sisable qaaantity for per-
haps another twdweeks. Some are
likely to start coming in here early
next week, he said.
The Department Of Agriculture
found that 234, ,000, 900 pounds Of
meat were in storage October !.
This was il, ,0o0, 900 pounds below the
Iprertogas low record of Novethber,
1851. Mrg johnson said this re-
fufEd ruraors thu" vast amounts
were being hoarded in warehouses.
He declared the low record ma
tional picture certainly applied In
H.. ~,
Another sign that the meat sup
ply locally has not yet begun to pick
up was seen in reports that one rail-
road handled fewer than 10 car
loads within the last two days.
Little Arriving From Nearby.
Comparatively little meat is being
brought in from Maryland and Vir-
ginia, despite high prices being paid
for livestock in those market areas.
industry ofncials said.
Baltimore's terminal market pre-
dicted at least a two-week wait for
any appreciable quantity OF West
ern cattle, the Associated Press re-
ported. Sales yesterday topped
those of Tuesday, but commission
men predicted low receipts for sew
eral days more. Scarcity Of trucks
has contributed to slowness In get
ting livestock from Virginia markets
to the Baltimore terminal.
Virginia sales yards at Winches-
ter today reported an unprecedent-
ed flow Of livestock during the past
two days, but most Of 1t was being
sold to buyers from Pennsylvania.
Joseph Frye, one Of the auction
operators, said top prices Of s24 per
100 pounds for steers and 500 on
some calves were the highest on
record there.
Choice Meat for Hospitals.
A dozen choice steers, bought be-
fore meat was decontrolled, will
provide meat for District hospitals
and institutions for several days,
the District Purchasing Once re-
ported today. The steers were pur-
chased in nearby Virginia, Purchas-
ing Ofiicer Roland M. Brennan said.
The Washington Committee for
Consumer Protection announced
eight other organizations are active
ly interested in a meeting tonight
for discussion Of a possible buyers
strike" against hight meat prices.
Mrs. Sarah Newman, committee
chairman, said the meeting will be
held at Union for Democratic Action
headquarters, sl9 Thirteenth street
NV.
The groups participating, the COM
mittee announced, are the UDC,
League of Women Voters, League Of
Women Shoppers, American Vet
erans' Committee, Potomac Coop
erative Federation, National Asso-
citation for Advancement Of Colored
People, C1O Industrial Union Coun-
Gil and AFL Central Labor Union.