Evening star., 1951-05-13
Ceilings on Beef
To Have Varied
Effect on Prices
Up-or-Down Costs
To Change According
To Local Markets
By james G. Deone

prices will confront housewives
in most stores. Some will be higher.
some lower. Just what shoppers
find will depend on where they
trade.
The changes result from new
dollars-and-cents beef ceilings TAX
ing effect tomorrow.
For later in the week, some
butchers are posing a $64-question
will there be enough beef to sell.
at any price?
Talk of an impending shortage
mounted in meat circles here yes
terday. Some dealers reported
their suppliers would make no
promises on what they could give
them tomorrow morning. Some
foresaw having no beef at all by
the weeks end.
OPS Officials Hopeful.
Office of Price Sterilization Of
ficials said they are hopeful no
major shortage will develop, al
though they conceed one was pos
sible on localized basis.
Cattle shipments to Midwest
meat markets skidded steeply last
week. Many meat men here theor-
ized that this trend-apparently
a protest against price controls
won't soon be reversed.
And dealers pointed out that
beef shipments already have
shown a serious decline here-up
to rs per craaL for some suppliers.
Only the large chains still claim
ample supplies, and even their
officials last week began to be nom
committal.
On the price side, shoppers to-
morrow morning will find the
changes on some cuts. and in
some stores, spectacular.
One store, specializing in ex-
pensive meats. will slash its porter
house, club and teabone steaks Is
cents pound. But they have been
selling at a high level-$1.49.
Chain to Raise Price
BY contrast, a chain-and the
chains supply the majority of
consumers here-will yaise the
same steak by cents-from $1.15
to $1.24 a pound. The same chain
will raise sirloin steaks from Sill
to SLIT, rib roasts a penny to 80
cents a pound, and chuck roasts
to 73 centS-up 2. A few prices
will go down.
The new ceilings differ, depend
ing on whether stores are big or
little, chains or independents. In
dependents often charge more,
partly to compensate for extra
services such as free delivery and
charge accounts. Their steak and
roast prices in many instances are
being lowered.
Butchers must post complete
lists of the new ceiling prices by
June 4.
Must Separate Grades.
In addition to setting prices, the
Government has standardized re-
tail beef cuts, specified how they
should be trimmed and ordered
separate display of the different
grades. There are four grades
listed-choice, good, commercial
and utility. Prime beef, the top
grade, will sell at the choice level
"a fact the Government con-
siders insignificant because it says
little prime is available now.
While consumers can be ex-
pected to react unfavorably when
they encounter higher prices to-
morrow, OPS hopes to mollify
them later. 1t has promised 10
cent rollback later on-half on
August /, the rest October /.
The price agency also has pre-
dicted that tomorrow's changes
will balance out, by and large,
leaving the cost of beef at about
the same overall level.
But whatever the attitude of
the consumers. some dealers al
ready were reacting violently yes
terday.
Cut Held Too Drastic.
Some complained that the
price cutbacks are too drastic.
One, in business here for 35 years
said he's going to "go out of busi-
mes within month-I've got bet
ter things to do with my time
than work for nothing"
Another said INDEPENDENT
butchers are bing squeezed" three
ways at once-between the packer
the customer and the Govern
ment.
"The little man doesn't stand
a chance" he declared.
Several dealers complained
about details, such as the Jumping
together of top and bottom round
at the same ceiling in the new
regulation.
"I've been selling them at diff
ferent prices" said one. Now
all my customers will want the
top round, and I'll be left with
the rest. Whatll I do with it?'
Some warned that cuts won't
be trimmed as carefully under the
new ceilings. The butcher won't
be able to afford it, they said.
Only one of those reached in a
spot check spoke up positively in
favor of continued price control
hpd he added.
I don't know whether I'll have
any beef to SELL
A nwe system of price ceilings
on groceries also will go into ef-
feet tomorrow. Replacing the
fiat freeze on so percent of gro
Gerry merchandise, it provides fol
weekly repricing based on chang.
ing costs.
Many stores-especially chain.
already have raised prices on 6
large number of items under thi'
new system. which originally wal
to take effect two weeks ago
Some prices also went down
T,,,r+t,o~ o+ionc will he r0taf