Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-02-25
By the Associated Press

Three guinea pig cities In q
food price control experiment that
might be tried this spring oil over
America report mixed reactions.
And an Associated Press survey
of the three-Fargo, N. OAK;
Jacksonville. Fla, and Fresno
Calif.-shows widely mixed recep-
ton.
Many Of the customers Of gro.
ceries required to post price cell
ing charts (Which aren't yet re.
quired In any other part Of the
country haven't even noticed
them.
Most Of the grocers questioned
(but not alb say the system 10 q
nuisance and O waste Of taxpay.
ers' money.
Minority II Vocal.
But, also, there Ia O very vocal
minority. Some Of the grocery
customers hail the experiment OF
posting charts TO roll back prices
as O. fine thing" Some OF the
grocers also approve wholeheart.
eddy. And some civic and labor
organizations In the three cities
adopted resolutions urging that
the scheme DO extended TO every
city and hamlet In the land.
"A bunch Of baloney." says
chain store manager In Fresno,
"A farce" says q small grocer
there. "Too much trouble" chimes
In o third. But, 1T gives the little
fellow Q break" insists another.
ITS there o new system being
tried7" asks q Fargo housewife.
She hasn't paid any attention 10
what's been going on concerning
price controls on food"
Has Faith In Grocer.
II have faith In my grocer" says
o Jacksonville housewife, who
doesn't bother 10 consult the cell.
"A waste Of the taxpayers
money" says q Fresno housewife,
"Tha Vpo5tHfg bhouid have been
put out long ago." another Florida
shopper says. II eenSuit them
often" tl,.
The three guinea pla cities were
chosen by The once OF Prize
BtablllBati9R 20 TRY Out its Gem
HuRity Pricing Plan" II OPS
finds The plan o success 10 Will
decide probably In ApFil abeut
uslha tho system everywhere
The plan requires gFeeeFs 20 post
ceiling prices on oil items on O
single chart, Stores ore grouped
under four classes, according TO
slBe OF business done, FeF en-
ample, 90 per cent OF the 1903
retail gFeesFy stores Affected IN
the seVen.eeuHty area around
jacksonville come under group
one, which includes stores having
annual sales under $4,000, These
smaller stores are allowed higher
maTk-ups than the other groups,
30 that ceiling prices are lover
In top group four--stores where
sales volume exceeds Sa7S,000 .
year.
Two Price Charts.
80 far, two price charts have
been posted to date In the Fargo
area. As o rule, they are issued
every two weeks and reflect the
change In cost OF goods and labor
which are passed on to the con.
sumer.
: Leo ,Mahoney. District OPS Ia.
formation officer In Fargo, admits
there Is widespread community
apathy to the pricing plan but in
Slsts: "The consumer knows we're
on the Job and feels iEs our Job
to take care Of prices. ! believe
he has confidence we'll watch the
situation"
Joseph L. McKenna, acting dis.
trict director for OPS In Fresno,
says the posting Of price charts
IN that area brought rollbacks Of
! to II cents on approximately 20
commonly used items.
But Andy Bedoin, co.owner Of
q store In Fresno. says: Sure, we
were over ceiling on three or four
items. Take lard. for example,
when we found we were O couple
pennies over on that. we marked
1t down and added the difference
to something like cereals. We were
several cents under on those"
Sees Little Difference.
And o Fargo shopper says, II
haven't noticed any differences In
prices lately"
A chain store manager In Jack.
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