Evening star., 1946-08-24
Agencies Map
Fight on Meat
Black Market
Porter Says Drive
Will Be Toughest
Program Yet
By MoIcolm Lomborne, Jr.

Price Administrator Porter
disclosed today that OPA, Agri-
culture, Treasury and Justice
Department officials were gath
ering forces for drive against
the meat black market which he
said would be the toughest pro-
gram yet"
Promising details in few days,
he commented, in his weekly radio
broadcast: From now on out the
word will be-black marketeers, be-
ware!" He added that if any one
with a misguided ambition for IL
legal profits is planning a little
chiseling on the side, I'd like to
advise against it."
The price chief promised that
once ceilings are established on
meats they are going to stay firm"
and I'VE don't intend to give in to
any purely pressure drives" He,
stressed that because not all the
subsidy money the agency would
like is being made available, con-
sumers will have to pay "a little
more for some kinds and cuts Of
meats"
Meat Subsidies to Return.
Declaring that there are "cries
that meat famine will soon stalk
the land" Mr.. Porter observed that
if meat supplies become shorter in
the next month or six weeks, II
have been price administrator just
long enough to know that once again
OPA will be trotted out as the scape-
goat and the whipping boy"
Mr.. Porter said that somewhat
lighter meat supplies are in prospect.
particularly next month, but that
this would be due to lower hog
marketings until October and the
fact some livestock may be held
longer for feeding on the bumper
grain crops coming this fall.
Meanwhile, Sterilization Director
Steelman directed the re-establish-
ment, effective September /, of the
subsidies on meats that were in
effect on June 90, except those paid
to producers and feeders of livestock.
The directive is a followup of de-
termination made by the Price De-
control Board this week on restoring
price controls and subsidies.
400 Million Outlay Expected.
In letter to the Reconstruction
Finance Corp, authorizing that
agency to pay subsidies, Mr.. Steel
man estimated that payment for the
/ livestock slaughter program would
require not more than s4o0 ,000, 600 of
the 1869 100000 authorized by Con-
gress for general subsidy purposes
under the new Price Control Act.
The stabilization director observed
that the Decontrol Board, in restor-
ing meat subsidies, made IAN i'm
portant contribution to the whole
stabilization program" He said
that during the months ahead, it
was most important that the cost
of living be held as low as possible"
OPA, meeting the deadline set by
Congress for granting price in
creases under the new law, poured
forth steady stream of orders yes
terday, moving ceilings upward on
a wide range of commodities and
materials.
The agency announced at the end
of the day that it had decided
against any overall increase "at this
time" in new car prices. Turning
down an industry proposal for a 3
per cent increase to cover dealers
handling charges, OPA offered in
stead individual increases to any
dealer who can show that he
charged substantially more before
the war for preparing and condi-
tioning automobiles.
Margarine Price to Rise.
OPA set the last three months OF
1910 as base period for figuring the
average handling charge for each
model automobile, and said each
dealer must file an affidavit with
his district OPA Office before charg-
ing the prewar average.
OPA also ruled that when fats
and oils ceilings come back Septem-
ber prices of margarine and short
enings would be / cent a pound
higher than On June 30. Similarly,
consumer size packages of cooking
oil, salad oil, mayonnaise and salad
dressing generally will be l cent
higher.
New meat ceilings are expected TO
be announced next week, effective
September 9.
Also increased yesterday were
prices of a number of cotton and
wool knitted garments; staple work
clothing; tires for automobiles,
buses, trucks and motorcycles; some
building materials, eye glass lenses.
toilet tissue and paper towels and
SpaniSh olives