Evening star., 1946-03-29
Beef and Pork
Prices 10 Rise
Next Monday
Only | Meat Purchase
In 5 Is Under Ceiling,
Hearing Is Told
RETAIL PRICES in District show
first appreciable drop in two years.
Page B-l
By the Associated Press

by me Associated Press
AS the OPA announced ceiling
price increases for most pork and
for about a third of all beef cuts
today the American Meat Insti-
tute declared that a survey in
dicated a houswife had less than
one chance in five of buying
meat at OPA legal prices.
The OPA said the pork and beef
increases would be effective next
Monday and resulted from recently
authorized higher prices for the
packing industry to Offset wage
increase of 16 cents an hour.
Retail pork prices generally will
be raised an average of three
quarters of cent a pound, OPA
said, while beef price increases will
average a third Of a cent a pound.
Increases for individual pork and
beef cuts range from to cents a
pound. The price boost for most
popular cuts-such as sirloin and
porterhouse steaks, bacon and pork
chops and loins-will only be l
cent.
Price increases will be announced
later for veal, lamb and mutton.
Says SO Pct. Exceed Ceilings.
r. J. Eggert, associate director Of
the Meat Institutes marketing de-
partment told the House Agriculture
Committee that of 1903 stores
checked by impartial housewife
shoppers" in II cities, 83 per cent
exceeded ceiling prices in their sales.
He disclosed that 81 per cent of
516 purchases made in 242 stores in
Washington were overcharges. The
average overcharge here was 9 per
cent, he said.
He added that the illegal prices
on some cuts were double and even
triple the ceiling, although the aver
age was around 20 per cent.
Mr.. Eggert supported the indus
try's demand for removal of meat
price ceilings. The committee is in
vestigating problems of the industry.
| Mr.. Eggert declared:
| IF the amount paid for meat
above the ceiling is as much over
throughout the entire country as in
the II cities surveyed the over
ceiling expense to the consumer
for his meat is in excess of $780,
600 ,000."
I Summary Of Findings.
Mr.. Eggert presented a summary
OF what the survey showed by cities,
Including:
New York City-401 stores visited,
739 purchases made, 79 per cent of
stores overcharged, 81 per cent av-
erage overcharge.
Providence, r. I.-35 stores, So
purchases, rs per cent overcharged,
21 per cent average overcharge.
Newark, N. J.-74 stores; 1876 pur-
chases; IS per cent overcharged; 30
per cent average overcharge.
Chicago - 1872 stores; 724 pur-
chases; 81 per cent overcharged; %
per cent average oyercharge.
Indianapolis stores; 102 pur-
chases; IS per cent overcharged; 10
per cent average overcharge.
Milwaukee 70 stores; las pur-
chases; Sc per cent overcharged; 10
per cent average overcharge.
;. Denver-109 stores; 224 purchases;
"a per cent overcharged; per cent
average overcharge.
Los Angeles-200 stores; 408 pur-
chases; "a per cent overcharged; 13
per cent average overcharge.
Houston-100 stores; 1872 purchas-
es; "a per cent overcharged; 20 per
cent average overcharge.
Memphis-122 stores; 240 pur-
chases; SO per cent overcharged; IA
per cent average overcharge.
!, Some Areas Unchanged.
In announcing the meat price in
creases, OPA said that in some areas
ceilings for these cuts will not be
increased. For example, there will
be no price change for porterhouse
steak in Los Angeles and Dallas
according to OPA, but it will cost q
penny more pound in Chicago, New
: York and Nashville.
On the other hand, there will bs
an increase of a cent pound fol
: flank steak in Dallas, but not in tn,
E other cities mentioned.
The reason for these discrepan.
4 cies, an OPA official explained, il
y that meat prices are figured unde,
formula based on costs which
= vary from area to area. Retail
4 prices are rounded off to the near
est cent.
r About three -fourths of all porl
: cuts are being raised in price, bu
S only third of beef cuts.
n Beef liver and cooked corned beef
:. briskets are increased by 2 cents