Evening star., 1951-04-29

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Ofice of Price Stabilizatior
Director Michael v. Disable las
might announced a beef price con.
Itrol program designed to hold re.
Itail prices at present levels. ol
Slightly below. and to bring about
an average 10 per cent reduction
in the retail price of beef cuts BY
fall.
On an annual basis, the Ameri.
can public will save about $70(
million In the cost of retail beei
when the full reduction program
lis in effect.
MIR. Disable made the announce
ment in a speech at the Univer-
sity of Bridgeport. in Bridgeport
Conn.,. where he also was awarded
an honorary degree Of master oi
science. The orders themselves
were made public in Washington
and will be filed In the Federal
Register Monday.
Practically every family In
America, as well as some 100000
meat retailers and 25, 900 packers
Islaughterers and other meat
wholesalers are affected by the
regulations. Beef accounts for A
lper cent Of the Nations meat diet
Aimed to Relieve Squeeze.
In five correlated orders affect
ing the cost of beef from the
stockyards sale to the steak on the
table, OPS reduced the price that
may be paid for live cattle by 10
per cent; fixed dollars and cents
ceiling prices for wholesale and
retail beef cuts and beef variety
meats, and set up machinery for
ALLEGATION Of meat supplied should
this become necessary.
The regulations will check ad-
vancing prices of live cattle anc
bring them in line with whole
sale and retail prices, thus re-
storing an operating margin for
those slaughterers and retailers
who have experienced a price
squeeze in the last few weeks be-
cause of uncontrolled cattle prices
In a further move the OPS reg
|ulations provide for lower retail
prices in the fall. the first reduc-
tion coming on August l when re-
tail prices will be reduced by about
4 cents q pound and on October
/ when q further reduction OF
about the same amount will be-
come effective.
The wholesale ceiling prices be-
come effective May 9. and the
retail and retail Kosher prices or
May IA, when stores must post the
new prices. The cattle price regu-
lation becomes effective for ac-
counting beginning on or after
May 20, and will be followed by
two additional cattle price reduc-
tions of Az per cent each on
August ! and October / accom-
|panying the retail reductions at
that time. The ALLEGATION order
is effective May z.
Time to Adjust Production.
"Meat has joined bread in the
Importance it occupies as the aver
age American housewife plans and
prepares a balanced diet she feels
is necessary for the health of her
family" Mr.. Disable told his
Bridgeport audience. a b @s
Still, no cost of living COM
modify has exceeded the cost Of
beef. Today beef holds top rank
as the most costly agricultural
item with reference to parity. az
it exceeds $50 per cent of that
relationship. We exclude live
stock from the controls imposed
by the general freeze. The price
continued to rise until the whole
structure Of the control program
was threatened.
Packers, wholesalers and re-
tailers were squeezed to point
where shortages began appearing
in certain cities. States and
municipalities were having diff
f1culty finding meat to fulfill the
needs of their penal and bene-
VIOLENT institutions.
This action is one necessary to
continue bringing meat to the
American people at reasonable
prices. In this action, those who
raise cattle and those who feed
them for market will have time
to adjust their production pro-
grams to the announced price
structures and to realize a rea-
sonable return for their efforts.
1T is a firm, just, fair step to-
wards stabilization of the Nations
economy"
About Equal to February Level.
The new retail ceilings are
lower than the high levels reached
in March and April, about equal
to those in February, but slightly
higher than the January figure as
shown by the consumers price
index of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
The new orders provide for
posted dollars and cents prices
in butcher shops and other retail
stores. and set up procedures for
control of distribution at whole
sale and retail levels if this be-
comes necessary to insure the
normal flow of beef to all con-
sumer areas and levels.
Briefly. the new orders are
Live cattle Ceiling Price Regu-
lation No. 23).-This provides
maximum prices which slaughters
may pay for live cattle in each
monthly accounting period, based
ON dressed grade and percentage
yield of meat.
Wholesale Beef sales (CPR 24)
sets up dollars and cents
price ceilings on wholesale cuts
of beef by grade.
Retail beef sales (CPR 25)-
This provides for posted ceiling
prices that may be charged to
customers for each cut and grade