Evening star., 1951-04-27
Beef Shortages
Mount; Industry
Awaits Controls
Chuin Stores Here
Have Ample Supply
For Lower Demand

Reports of beef shortages mount
ed over the country today as the
meat industry continued to mark
time in anticipation of a new price
control order.
Chain stores here were featur-
ing beef, despite the fact that
packing houses reported curtailed
shipments. Consumer demand is
down because of high prices, so
the smaller amount of beef is
proving generally sufficient, they
said.
But the Associated Press in a
survey of Is other cities found
beef and veal supplies tight or
below normal in nine of them.
And a reported black market in
meat is now under investigation
in Baltimore.
At the Agriculture Department,
experts unofficially predicted a
continuing tight supply nationally,
based on a decline over several
months in slaughtering operations.
Last week, federally inspected
Slaughter-70 per cent of'the total
was down 7 per cent, the de-
partment reported.
Packers Buying Less.
Packing house spokesman frank
ly admit they aren't buying as
much as normal because of high
livestock prices. They blame the
Government for failure to control
livestock. saying this has put
them in a squeeze-since whole
sale and retail prices are frozen.
Wesley Hardenbergh, president
of the American Meat Institute,
said in a speech yesterday in
Omaha that there are pretty
good indications that the black
market already is under way"
He ascribed it to the squeeze.
THE legitimate operators can
not operate if they observe the
regulations, and consequently get
squeezed out and the black mar
ket steps in" he said.
Office of Price Sterilization Of
ficials so far have not admitted
the existence of any black mar
ket meat operations, here or else
where, although they have had
the meat industry under investi-
cation and some violations have
been uncovered.
Packers Oppose Controls.
Packers are dubious whether
the new price regulation, expected
momentarily, will increase beef
shipments materially.
The American Meat Institute
Is on record against any price
controls on meat whatsoever.
Packers contend normal supply
demand factors would do better in
assuring an ample supply.
They also doubt specifically
whether an expected price roll
back in the new regulation cover
ing livestock will help the supply
situation. They fear it may dis
courage cattlemen from bringing
the livestock to market.
The rollback has been reported
at anywhere from 2 to 5 cents per
pound, but it is not expected to
be felt on the retail level.
Fed to Heavier Weights.
This is the season when there
is usually a slaughtering decline
Two special factors also are i'm
portant this year, according to
the eXperts-farmers seem to be
feeding cattle to heavier weights
than last year, and there is con-
siderable buying for the purpose
of stocking farms. Holding back
of calves in the latter connection
figures in the veal shortage, it was
said.
Agriculture Department Spokes-
men say they have noted no sign
of a real meat shortage. The
overall per capita supply is now
higher than at any time since
1910 except 1947.
Lamb is scarce-there has been
a steady decline in the number of
lambs in the country-but pork
and poultry are plentiful. And
cattle on the hoof are at record
level-they're just not coming to
market in sufficient numbers to
meet all the demand.
In its survey, the Associated
Press found beef supplies below
normal to very tight in New York,
Los Angeles, New Orleans, Char
lotte, N. c., Chicago. Richmond
Boston. New Haven and Balti-
more. Adequate supplies were re-
ported in Detroit. Atlanta, San
Francisco. st. Louis. Kansas City
and Dallas.
OPS says it's new regulation
should bring distribution back tc
normal. But just when it will be
issued no one would say today.