Evening star., 1946-07-12
D. t. Meat Price
|ncreases47%,.
Survey Reveals
Rise in 80 Days
Varies Most Widely
In Independent Stores

have increased an average of ATS.
per cent in the past 80 days, survey
made by the New Council of Ameri-'
can Business, Inc, indicated today.
Based on meat purchases made in
local retail stores month apart, the
survey showed price increases vary.
ing between 81 and 1873 per cent in
independent establishments. Chain
store prices hewed much closer to
the OPA levels. !,
Representatives of the council
bought meat in Is stores here and
purchased the same items where
possible six months later. However,
they were able to buy the same cuts
in only six independent and three
chain stores because of the meat
shortage or sell-out of desired
items.
A 5-pound-5-ounce ham hook
purchased in one of the independent
stores cost $4.20 today. Its OPA
ceiling price would have been s1.85,
the council said.
Chain Stores Hold Line.
OF the three chain stores covered,
two were found to be selling meat at
the same prices charged a month
ago, according to Henry L. Nc
Carthy, executive director OF the
council. Prices at the third store
averaged 13 per cent above the old
ceilings.
The council. an independent busi-
nessmen's group. located at 1887 H
street NV, favors retention OF
price controls, Mr.. Mccarthy said
Store executives, meanwhile,
failed to share the opinion held by
hackers of yesterdays buyers
strike" protesting decontrol Of
prices, that it had kept thousands
of shoppers at home. They said the
demonstration failed to bring about
any appreciable change in the VOL
ume of business.
With consumer prices generally
higher, but nowhere near the in
f1ationary levels predicted by some
OPA officials, Capital citizens re-
acted in various ways to the down.
town demonstration demanding con-
tinuance of OPA.
The 300-odd antiinflation pick.
ets'' heard public comments rang
ing all the way from Why not do
this every day?" to You're Just a
bunch OF Communists
Says "Strike" Served Purpose.
John P. Anderson, chairman Of
the Citizens Price Defense Commit
tee which staged the affair, said
the consumers response was "ex-
celient" and that untold numbers
Of shoppers stayed away from stores
out of sympathy.
1T was not 100 per cent effective
and We didn't expect it to be-" Mr..
Anderson declared, but the strike
served its main purpose of drama
tizing consumers support for price
control and letting Congress know
where we stand"
One market operator closed at
noon for the day after being in
formed by many of his customers
that they were behind the strike.
so I decided to close down just
for the afternoon, because I was
in sympathy with them" said Stan
Kedan, manager of the Mclean
Market at 4233 Wisconsin ave.
nue. NV.
Stores Report Little Affect.
But retail stores in the area
picketed reported business as
usual" Department, drug and hab-
erdashery executives said that if
the buying public stayed away, it
was in such small numbers as not
to be noticeable.
Mr.. Anderson said approximately
50 labor, civic, veterans and women's
organizations Endorsed the strike.
Meanwhile, a downtown cafeteria
operator reported that wholesale
prices of meat. butter and poultry
here have risen 9 to 81 per cent
since OPA died July /. The operator
told The Star she is now paying
68 per cent more for food stocks.
Though she has not yet raised
meal prices. preferring to wait and
see what happens in Congress" the
operator quoted the following per
pound prices she is paying to ''repu.
table" local wholesalers: