Evening star., 1948-01-01
Flanders Seeks Talk
With Anderson on
Meat Ration Plan
By the Asseeiatsd Press

WcoI. NollUn IolI
By the Asseeiafsd Press
Senator Flanders, Republican, of
Vermont said today he plans to con-
fer soon with Secretary Of Agricul-
ture Anderson in an attempt to line
up big packers in support OF meat
Yationing.
The Vermont lawmaker said that
after talking with meat industry
representatives he has no illusions
about the difficulty of winning them
over, but he feels 1t is worht try.
Senator Flanders for several weeks
has been advocating rationing as the
only way of coping with the meat
shortage which the Agriculture De-
partment has predicted will develop
in the spring. Mr.. Anderson, along
with President Truman, also has
been plugging for standby power to
ration meat.
Senator Flanders disclosed that he
conferred in Chicago earlier this
week with a group of packers.
Prospective Supply Reduced.
I'VE were in general agreement
that the meat situation is going to
become critical by early spring. !"
Senator Flanders said, ''but the
packers naturally are opposed to
rationing and prefer to let nature
take its course"
The packers contended, Senator
Flanders added, that talk of ration
ing already is tending to reduce the
prospective supply of beef.
They reported" he said, that
cattle not only are being shipped
to market at lower-than-usual
weights as a result of the scant
supply of feed grain, but that there
also is heavy shipment of calves,
indicating that stockraisers are
dubious about next years grain
crop"
Under these circumstances, the
industry Is skeptical about the
chances for expanding beef produc-
ton, Senator Flanders said. They
also are fearful, he went on, that
rationing would drive prices down
and discourage production.
Urges Wider Price Support.
In an effort to allay this fear the
Senator said he plans to suggest to
Mr.. Anderson or his aides that the
Governments price support pro-
gram be expanded to cover cattle.
The effect of this would be to put
a floor under beef prices, although
at a level less than present prices,
Senator Flanders said.
The Senator acknowledged that
any plan to encourage beef produc-
ton at present would conflict with
the campaign to save grain. But
he expressed hope that Europe's
need for grain from the United
States largely will have been met
in time to check the flow of lower
weight animals to domestic mar
kets.
Senator Flanders said the pack
srs also predicted that meat ration
ing would be accompanied by -four
ishing black markets.
There is no doubt about it, there
would be black markets" the Sen
ator declared. But don't think
they would flourish.
with meat the only product
rationed, as compared with several
during the war, the Government
should be able to do an effective
job of policing the situation. I think
black markets could be held to a
minimum"
Senator Flanders said that at his
forthcoming conference with Sec
retary Anderson, he wants to explore
just what could be done in the way
of a voluntary rationing program,
pending establishment of COM
pulsory program. He also wants to
find out how long it would take to
get mandatory setup operating.
Agriculture Department officials have
estimated the job would require
three to six months.
Any move to restore compulsory
rationing is sure to meet with stormy
opposition in Congress, as Mr.. Tru-
man found during the recent special
session.
Presidential Economist Edwin G.
Nourse predicted yesterday that
meat will be next springs most
crucial" shortage item and said he
believes the Government should have
power to ration it, if need be.
DR.. Nourse talked with reporters
when he and other members of the
Presidents Council of Economic
Advisers took to the White House
the economic data on which Presi-
dent Truman will base his economic
message to Congress on January g.