Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-08-22
.0PA Authorizes
Higher Ceiling
Prices for Coal
Preparations Made
For Meat RoIIbuck
On September 9
By MolcoIm Lomborne. Jr.

OPA today raised the ceiling
price of hard coal and coke 30
cents a ton, and soft coal Is
cents a ton. At the same time.
the agency prepared to order
additional price increases for a
number of important building
materials and industrial ma
chinery.
All of the increases are neces-
STATED, OPA said, by the provision
IN the new Price Control Act al
lowing dealers the average percent-
age markup they had in effect on
March 81, over their current acquisi-
ton cost.
Meanwhile, the agency went
ahead with plans for gradual roll
pack OF meat, fats and oil prices
which will become effective at re-
tail September g.
Will Double Enforcement Staff.
prlce Administrator Paul Porter
told news conference this was
oelng done to allow wholesaler and
retailer dealers time to dispose OF
meats purchased at uncontrolled
prices during the past few weeks.
OPA mad tentatively set September
as effective date for retail meat
ceilings, but word from the printers
charged with printing and distribute
ing thousands Of price charts to re-
TALL stores disclosed the Job could
not be completed by Labor Day.
The price chief promised an en-
ergetlc campaign against black mar
Het operators in meat and said
ms enforcement staff would be
doubled to about $500 agents. He
added that OPA plans to throw
the book at black marketeers,
He insisted, however, that there
was no Substantial basis for re-
ports that We are going back to
widespread black markets" He said
ne hoped that packers will devote
substantial part of their energy
to making recontrol work-at least
as much as they devoted to trying
to get rid of controls
Mr.. Porter declared that TO be
very realistic about it, we are going
to have a pretty bad September
and predicted general shortages"
OF beef next month with an easing
OF supply later in the year. The
september shortage, he said, is due
to the glut of meat since lapse of
price controls.
But, he added, OPA is going to
be blamed for the shortage.
Flour Price Increased.
Mr.. Porter also announced a price
increase of 2 cents a hundred pounds
for flour, effective tomorrow. to off,
set higher parity prices for wheat,
which remains free of controls.
This will result in a 1-cent increase
for 10-pound sacks of flour. How.
ever, bread prices will not be af-
fected, and should the Agriculture
Department lift milling restrictions
on flour this fall, the price of bread
| Will drop a cent, he said.
OPA officials explained that res
taurant regulations will be revised
TO bring recontrolled foods back I'M
der price lid. Restaurant opera
tors will be required to lower menu
prices on recontrolled foods as soon
after September as their prices
begin to reflect the new ceilings.
| Mr. Porter expressed disappoint-
ment that the Price Decontrol
Board found no basis for recon-
trolling dairy products. But, he
commented, the board did the best
1t could under the law.
Milk Likely to Cost More.
He also foresaw trouble in dairy
product prices this fall, and said he
would be very surprised if we don't
get higher prices" The decontrol
board has promised to reconsider
its stand on milk and other products
if prices rise further.
In addition to price increases in
building materials and industrial
machinery, OPA is authorizing an
increase of half cent a pound for
oranges as soon as grocers receive
supplies at higher prices granted
producers.
The 80 cents ton Increase in
anthracite and coke prices is on
| top of an average retail increase
of 81 ton granted few weeks ago
to offset higher wage and freight
rates.
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