Evening star., 1951-10-24
DiSaI|e Denies End
To Beef Curbs Is Near
Sees Stricter Control
By Froncis P. Douglas

py TfoHStS Y. 6Ou9lUS
Price Stabilizer Michael v. Di-
Sale said today that not only does
he have no intention of removing
price controls on beef but is study
ing means to make them more
effective.
In a statement designed to set
at rest rumors that beef controls
would be taken off because of the
failure of Congress to restore
slaughtering quotas, he said:
Regardless of the pressures and
limitations under which we must
operate, we don't intend to elimi-
nate controls on beef any more
than we do on other essential
items in the cost of living, as
long as the mobilization emer-
gency exists"
He said the agency feels it. a
major responsibility to do all in
its power to see that the house.
wife "does not have to pay more
for a steak or a beef roast than
she already does"
Methods Under Study.
OPS is studying these control
methods as alternatives to slaugh-
ter controls to keep beef prices
down. he said:
l. Establishing top ceiling prices
on live animals. There is now no
ceiling on the price a cattle pro-
ducer may receive while there is
on what the slaughterer may pay.
2. A priority for a packers
slaughter above that Of a COM
parable figure for last year, for
the benefit of the armed services
and institutions.
3. A system under which pro-
ducers actually will be paid on
the basis and yield of each animal
after slaughtering.
IF our people decide that any
OF these methods are desirable toI
improve slaughter and price con-
trolls they will be adopted" Mr..
Disable asserted. He also said:
Il have said several times that
the enforcement of the beef con-
troll program would be much more |
difficult without the power to ap-
portion the slaughter of cattle
coming to market equally among
all the packers, and that opinion
have not changed. However, the
lack of slaughter quota authority
does not mean we are going to
give up the attempt.
Encouraged by Results.
I'VE are encouraged by the re-
suits Of the enforcement drive
now under way and believe that
the violations already uncovered
and halted will greatly improve
the general marketing situation"
In four weeks of the OPS ex-
panded slaughterhouse investiga-
tions, 1914 plants have been in
spected, 4,276 violations have been
found at 1,408 plants and I'll
criminal injunction actions have
been instituted. This brings the
total Of court actions for viola
tions of meat regulations to 218.
Last week alone enforcement
agents inspected 1925 plants and
uncovered 1,443 violations at 432
plants and brought 64 court &C
tions.
Mr.. Disable said OPS is deter
mined to halt illegal practices,
"for it is only through using them
that packers can pay above legal
ceilings for live cattle and still
make a profit"
To Distribute Charts.
OPS will shortly distribute to
all butcher shops and meat mar
kets printed wall charts showing
the legal ceilings for all cuts and
grades of beef sold there.
1T will then be easy" Mr.. Di-
Sale said, "for the housewife to
know she is paying no more than
ceiling prices. and we are deter
mined to hold these ceilings at
the lowest level PERMITTED by
law"
Despite the elimination of
slaughter quotas, it was pointed
out that OPS still has authority to
license slaughters, preventing fly
by-night borderline operators and
those not needed to maintain the
meat supply from entering the
field.
Mr.. Disable said a seasonal in
crease in the number of cattle
coming to market can reasonably
be expected soon and that this
should result in a softening Of