Evening star., 1953-10-31
Killing Made
In Beef Sales,
Senator Claims
SchoeppeI Finds
D. c. Prices Far More
Than in Kansas
By james E. Roper

OeIldCor ScnOeppel, Repub-
lican, of Kansas protested today
that District housewives have
to pay far more for meat than
do the housewives of Wichita or
Topeka, kans.
He said somebody is making
a killing" and he is deter
mined to try to find out who it
is and how much they have
made"
Staff Shops Here.
Senator Schoeppel disclosed
that he had his Office staff shop
at Washington stores for meat,
and then compare them with
prices in his home State.
Prices here were much higher
but better grade beef is sold
here.
Washington stores sell almost
nothing except beef carrying the
Government grade of Choice"
The Kansas stores were adver-
tising baby beef'-meat taken
from animals before they have
been corn-fed into choice" beef.
The difference in prices, how
ever, was great. The survey,
made Thursday, showed: Choice
round steak selling in Washing
ton at SO cents to $1.O5 per
pound, in Kansas at 40 cents for
baby beef; sirloin steak in Wash
ington at 79 to 80 cents per
pound, in Kansas at 80 to SO
cents; T-bone steak in Washing
ton at SO cents per pound, in
Kansas at 49 cents, and ham
burger or ground beef in Wash
lngton at As to 50 cents, in Kan
saS at 90 to 35 cents.
Chain Stores Policy.
A spokesman for the National
Association of Food Chains said
that chain stores, in order to
assure housewives of satisfactory
meat, generally have adopted
the practice of handling only
choice beef. Some stores across
the Nation have resumed selling
lower grade beef to capitalize on
the current drop in cattle prices
which has been most severe on
lower grade animals.
Most all Washington stores
however, have continued to sell
only choice grades. They saw
they have done this to protect
their regulations as meat han
dlers. The spokesman said WASH
lngton retail prices for choice
beef do not seem out of line
with Kansas prices for the same
grade. considering transportation
costs and closer trimming prac-
tees which the spokesman said
are followed here.
Senator Schoeppel, however
reels that the Washington stores
decision to handle only choice
meat has deprived many house,
wives of the opportunity to buy
the cheaper grades which now
are so plentiful. The Agricul-
ture Department says the cheap
Ell grades and cuts are as VAL
liable nutritionally as the more
expensive product, but require
more work to cook tastily.
U. S. in Buying Campaign.
The Agriculture Department is
in the midst of a beef-buying
campaign while the heavy fall
run of cattle to market is under
way. The department is buying
only hamburger and canning
meat.
Senator Schoeppel said Sec
retary Benson should buy even
more of this meat in order to
give lower grade cattle prices a
Legitimate increase" of So to
81 per hundred pounds.
Senator Schoeppel and Chair
man Aiken of the Senate Agri-
culture Committee agree that
cattle prices seem to have
reached their low of the present
plunge and are headed upward.
Senator Aiken, in an Interview
with the Associated Press, criti-
cized the recent "cattlemen's
caravan" which came to Wash
ington seeking Government price
supports on live cattle.
Senator Aiken said the cara
van was "overdramatized." Sec
retary of Agriculture Benson
turned down the cattlemen's
request.
Benson Decision Praised.
Applause for the Secretary's
decision came today from the
Utah Cattle and Horse Growers
Association. meeting in Salt Lake
City. The association said in
statement that cattlemen will
find it more profitable to main
tain control of their own indus
try. The association approved
(See FARM, Page A-5.)