OCR Text |
Show SCANNING THE WEEK'S NEWS of Main Street and the World Beef Price Increases Announced; Marshall Retires to Private Life BEEF PRICES Harassed small town housewives, who have been fighting a losing battle with the food budget since the beginning ol the Korean war, heard the news of a wholesale beef price increase with dismay. dis-may. OPS authorized the increase of lVz to 2 cents a pound "at the wholesale whole-sale level. It will mean the home town housewife will pay more for chucks and rounds. In addition, OPS announced retail price increases on hams, shoulders, should-ers, and bacon by 1 to 2 cents. Ceiling on pork chops and roasts were recently subject to an adjustment ' (l - - JA, I . 't- f OPS said the new increases will restore fair profit margins to packers. pack-ers. Several had closed in recent weeks because they reported losing money under existing OPS price regulations. reg-ulations. It was estimated the new ceilings represent an average increase of a cent a pound on beef sold by the carcass. Another order issued by OPS increased in-creased the ceiling price on utility grade of live cattle from $21.80 to $23.40 per hundred pounds. This grade is used by canners for the army and some other customers, but represents less than 10 per cent of all beef sold at retail. FULL SCALE WAR Military observers believe there is little, if Junior Hog Champ any, chance of Korean truce talks resuming. For the most part they A 13-year-old city reared lad won predict increased activity in the nearly $600 and carried off top hon- fighting, with latest reports confirm-ors confirm-ors in competition with 55 farm jjjg this view. youngsters in the 12th annual Chi- Flame throwers, tanks and artil-cago artil-cago Junior Hog Show. Here he is, jery were used by the Allies last Carl Silva, Jr., of Dundee, III., who week in chopping out limited gains never lived on a farm until 5 months jn eastern Korea, while in other sec-ago. sec-ago. tors, U.N. troops beat back large Red attacks. Gen. James A. Van Fleet, eighth army commander, is reported to have said the Reds at present do not have much of an offensive capability capa-bility left on the eastern front. He reports Red casualties are running at 20 to 1 in comparison with the Allies'. Meanwhile, the word war between the Communist and United Nations commands continues. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway warned the enemy that the admission that an American plane accidentally machine-gunned the Kaesong area recently is "no indication the U.N. command will accept any trumped up Communist charge, no matter how loudly they protest." He referred to Communist charges of previous attacks which the Allies have denied. A-WEAPONS TRAINING Some 12,000 soldiers from the home towns of the nation will get a close look soon at what an atomic explosion can do as they undergo training in the tactical use of atomic weapons. The training will be carried out in the Frenchman's Flat proving grounds near Las Vegas where the atomic energy commission set off several atomic explosions some weeks ago. The maneuvers will be the first time army ground forces have received re-ceived actual field training with the new "tactical" atomic weapons recently re-cently developed by the AEC. The weapons are believed to include guided missiles with atomic warheads and atomic artillery shells. PAY RAISE A pay raise of 10 per cent was approved by the senate sen-ate last week for approximately 1,000,000 federal workers. The house must act on the bill and President Truman must sign it, however, before the money would be forthcoming. The measure would increase federal employee wages on the average of $307.53 a year, at an annual cost to the government of about $340,000,000. It would grant raises to almost all federal workers except those in the post office department. Postal workers previously were voted increases ranging from $400 to $800 in a senate bilL NO RUSH BUYING Merchants in all sections of the country, from the home towns to the big towns, have noticed recently there is no buying rush as there was only a few months ago. Economists have come up with several reasons why rush buying has stopped, but the two main ones seem to be the increased cost of items and the consumer now is buying what he needs, not because he fears future shortage's. During part of 1950 and early 1951 the American consumer went on a buying spree because of predicted shortages. Many of the items purchased pur-chased were on the installment plan and now the consumer is paying for .them. The old fear of shortages no longer worries the consumer because be-cause he believes goods will be available. And because of higher prices many consumers are saving for that rainy day, to pay off debts, and to buy things when prices are readjusted. read-justed. TAFT PROSPECTS Sen- Rber' Taft frankly admitted on his recent re-cent speaking tour through Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota was a prospecting trip which will have great bearing upon whether or not he will seek the 1952 Republican nomination for president. "A lot of people say they want me to run, but I want to be sure of the amount of support I am going to have before I make any final decision," de-cision," the Ohioan said. THE GENERAL The acceptance by President Truman of George C. Marshall's resignation as secretary of defense retires to private life a man who has held a unique place m American public life during the past decade, especially in the minds of people in the home towns of the country. coun-try. Gen. Marshall inspired in-spired confidence in the American people as has no other military man in recent years. After a long and honorable honor-able military career, Marshall Mar-shall rose to new heights as United States chief of staff in World War II. At the end 3 f jj , - . ; -M of the war he retired, but was called back by Presi- Quits Defense Post dent Truman to head a mis- sion to China in an effort en. Marshall retired as defense secre-to secre-to end the civil war there, tary, confers w.th President Truman and Rob-Alter Rob-Alter that fruitless mis- ert A. Lovett, the new secretary. sion he was named secretary secre-tary of state, during which the government launched the foreign-aid program pro-gram lhat became known as the Marshall plan. He resigned that post in 1949. A year ago Truman called him from retirement to take the post of secretary of defense. Senator .Johnsonr'of Texas very well summed up the opinion of the average American's regard for Marshall: "Long after the trivial carping carp-ing of his detractors has been forgotten, the memory of George Marshall's services will stand as an inspiring monument to future defenders of freedom free-dom in the world. Because of his efforts, freedom has survived and will continue to survive." |