Evening star., 1946-10-11

/ price," Senator Huffman said, add
ing that there was still danger Of
runaway imitation.
| Guaranteed Assailed.
Senator Huffman said the Presi-
dent did not indicate that he would
issue a statement.
Representative Celler, Democrat
OF New York urged in a statement
that the President declare an emer-
gency, suspend tariff rates on i'm
ported meat, and remove what he
called "the ridiculous quarantine
on fresh Argentine meat.
With those duties off, Mr.. Cellar
said, good cheap beef should reach
the consumers tables at IA cents a
pound" in less than month. He
said the President has power to
suspend the rates under the 1890
Tariff Act.
One top official anticipated an ad-
ministration move within the next
two or three days that would be fol-
lowed by radio address In which
Mr.. Truman would explain his posi-
ton.
Removal of price ceilings on meat
was seen as one possible solution
Mr.. Truman refused comment at
his news conference yesterday when
a questioner asked If he still favored
controls. Two weeks ago, the Presi-
dent said unequivocally that he
wanted to continue controls.
Non-committal on this point yes
terday. the President volunteered
that he thought his position had
been made clear.
Silent on Argentine Beef.
Mr.. Truman also responded with
terse no comment when asked his
views on the importation of Argen-
tine beef to relieve the situation.
The report which is expected to
form the basis for whatever action
the White House takes was ordered
by President Truman a week ago.
After Mr.. Steelman expressed con-
viction that the meat shortage
would get worse, Mr.. Truman told
reporters he had directed sur
vey before deciding If he agreed
with Mr.. Steelmans conclusions.
He said they probably were correct.
Whether ceilings should be re-
moved has been considered by the
White House conferees, although
they are reported to be divided on
the advisability of this step.
The way is open for immediate
decontrol If that is decided. The
beef packing industry yesterday
petitioned for removal Of ceilings
ana Secretary of Agriculture Ander-
sons approval is all that would be
required.
However, in a speech at Geneva,
N. Y, last night Mr.. Anderson de-
clared the issue is not beef before
election"
I'VE are in this for the long pull. y
he said, land the action Of the De-
partment of Agriculture must be
taken in the knowledge that we are
still living in an upset world"
On the political side, some ad-
ministration advisers have con-
tended that decontrol could not re-
suit in any big improvement before
the November S election. They have
taken the position that 1t would
take at least two to three weeks to
get meat to butcher shops, and even
then the quantity might not be large.
Hence reports persisted at the
Agriculture Department that what
ever action the Government takes
may be limited to channeling more
meat animals from small to big
packers in an effort to get the Wild
est possible distribution.
At his news conference, Mr.. Tu-
man had no comment when a re-
porter asked whether he believes
that public dissatisfaction over the
meat shortage is likely to be reflect
ed in the November elections.
BIames COP for Scarcity.
On the political front, charges as
to who is to blame for the meat
shortage continued to fly.
q Richard r. Macy, executive vice
chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee, told the Womens
Jefferson Club in Warrensburg, Mo.
last night that the scarcity developed
because Republicans unbalanced
the Nations meat budget"
Mr.. Macy said Republicans in
Congress so butchered the
original OPA extension bill that the
President had no choice but to veto
it." When controls lapsed, he added,
there was first meat feast" and
then the inevitable shortage"
"Thus the Republicans" Mr.. Macy
continued, who are forever talk
ing about balancing the budget,
unbalanced the nations meat bud
get"
The CIO Packinghouse Workers
Union also fired a shot in the
where e-is-the- meat controversy. The
union, in a statement, called on the
Government to investigate whether
packers are guilty of creating a
fraud on the public through mo-
nopolistic tactics by withhold the
livestock supply at its source"
The statement said that while
there are record numbers of animal
moving to feed lots, they are not
going "in the direction Of the dinner
table"