NEW YORK COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS SOAR TO 15,459,000 POUNDS IN SEPTEMBER

Holdings of frozen fishery products in New York cold-storage warehouses on October 1 advanced 10 percent over holdings of September 1 and 44 percent over the October 1, 1943 figure, according to the Service's Fishery Market News office in that city. The increase over September 1 was due mainly to large receipts of shrimp, salmon, and unclassified saltwater fish and shellfish. The increase over 1943 figures was particularly apparent in the holdings of fillets, halibut, sablefish, and salmon as well as in "unclassified."

The large increases over last month's figures of cod fillets, haddock fillets, halibut, mackerel, and sablefish are due mainly to the fact that one warehouse, which had been showing 2,982,000 pounds of unclassified salt-water species, divided most of this figure into separate species as follows:

This warehouse had been showing approximately 1,000,000 pounds of unclassified salmon, now identified as king salmon. These changes did not increase the total holdings as they constituted only a shift in classifications.

All other species of salmon, including unclassified, totaled approximately 122,000 pounds.

Little over-all change occurred in the holdings of fishery products in Chicago warehouses from August 31 to September 28, according to the Service's local Market News office. The total volume gained 4 percent to reach 7,460,000 pounds. All major items registered some fluctuations, but only one item, shrimp, showed a major change. Shrimp holdings rose from 216,000 pounds to 589,000 pounds in the four-week period, a gain of 173 percent. Whitefish and cod fillets remained first and second, respectively, in individual holdings.

In the twelve months ending September 28, stocks advanced 40 percent. This margin of difference was considerably smaller than that between July 29, 1943, and July 27, 1944, when holdings increased 100 percent. In 1943, stocks rose 1,678,000 pounds from July 29 to September 30, whereas in 1944 the gain was only 181,000 pounds in this period.

Between September 30, 1943, and September 28, 1944, the positions of almost all important items underwent change. Whitefish stocks, eighth in importance in 1943, climbed 467 percent to first place; cod fillets, seventh in line, rose to second place; and shrimp re

tained third position. Halibut, first in 1943, fell to eighth, and whiting, second in 1943, was reduced to tenth place in 1944.

There were 9,261,000 pounds of fresh fish and 784,000 pounds of smoked fish frozen in Canadian freezers in September, according to data furnished by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics.

Total fresh fish freezings were 18 percent less than those of September 1943, while freezings of smoked fish gained 21 percent. Compared with August, however, fresh fish freezings declined 47 percent due to decreases in the quantity frozen of all important items except salmon.

OCTOBER 1 CANADIAN COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS 29 PERCENT ABOVE YEAR PREVIOUS

Holdings of frozen fish in Canadian cold-storage warehouses on October 1 totaled 42,580,000 pounds, according to data furnished by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. This was an in

crease of 11 percent compared with September 1, and 29 percent over holdings on October 1, 1943. Cod fillets, salmon, halibut, and whitefish holdings were considerably higher than those of a year previous.

Arrangements for the allocation of freezer space in 20 designated cities has been made by the WFA for the use of the Armed Services for the storage of meats and poultry in leading meat packing centers of the country. This action, effective immediately, was taken by issuance of War Food Order 116 on October 11.

The order provides for the issuance of allocation authorizations for periods of not more than 7 days and applies only to freezer space in cold-storage warehouses in the designated cities, which has or will become unoccupied during the specified periods. The order requires application of the allocation to the acceptance of commodities owned by the Armed Services for storage, and provides priority of delivery of such commodities out of storage. It does not affect cooler space and the allocation cannot be used in warehouses whose freezers are more than 50 percent filled with Government-owned commodities.

fuse to store commodities therein in accordance with the same terms, conditions, and rates of storage which are available to other persons storing commodities in such warehouse: Provided That there shall be no discrimination against such emergency orders in establishing terms, conditions, and rates of storage.

The placing of any commodity in freezer space other than under such emergency orders shall be deferred to the extent necessary to provide such space for storage of commodities tendered under such emergency orders, even though such deferment may cause defaults under other contracts or orders and even though reservations may have been made of such freezer space for commodities, tendered by other persons.

(e) Placing of emergency orders.
Emergency orders may be placed by reg-
ular or registered mail, by telegraph, or
by personal service upon the person with
whom the order is to be placed.

(f) Priority of deliveries out of public
cold storage warehouses. Any person
operating a public cold storage ware-
house shall give precedence to orders is-
sued by the Armed Services for the de-
livery or removal of frozen meat and
frozen poultry out of storage in such
warehouse over orders issued by other
persons for the delivery or removal of
food out of storage in such warehouse:
Provided, That such precedence of de-
livery or removal out of storage shall ap-
ply. only to such warehouses located in
any of the cities listed in paragraph (b)
(2) (iii) hereof.

(h) Contracts. The requirements of

this war food order shall be observed without regard to contracts now existing or hereafter made or any rights accrued or payments made thereunder.

(k) Petition for relief from hardship. Any person affected by this order who considers that compliance herewith would work an exceptional or unreasonable hardship on him may file a petition for relief with the Order Administrator. Such petition should be addressed to Order Administrator, WFO 116, Marketing Facilities Branch, Office of Distribution, War Food Administration, Washington 25, D. C.

(0) Territorial extent. This order shall apply only to the forty-eight (48) states of the United States, and the District of Columbia.

AMDT. 21 TO MPR-364 EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 3

The winter base price of frozen rosefish fillets has been fixed at 24 cents per pound, the OPA announced October 4. This is the same price set last winter and compares with last summer's base price of 22 cents per pound, the price agency said. However, rosefish fillets frozen before October 1, 1944, must be sold at the summer base price of 22 cents per pound, because processors were able to obtain their supplies of this species at the producers' lower summer prices.

In a previous statement, OPA announced that with two or three possible exceptions winter base prices of frozen fish would not be increased over summer prices because the record holdings of frozen fish made winter freezing unnecessary. Normally most species are frozen during the summer for winter consumption. Rosefish is one of the exceptions because virtually the entire production of rosefish is frozen. To make possible freezing of the winter catch, winter prices of frozen rosefish have been adjusted for the higher winter prices paid to fishermen for fresh rosefish.

Amdt. 21 to MPR-364--Frozen Fish and Seafood-became effective October 3, 1944. Excerpts follow:

Importers of seven species of frozen Canadian lake fish are now permitted to add specific storage allowances to their present base prices during the months of April through November, the OPA announced on October 4. The seven species are whitefish, tullibee, lake trout, yellow pike, sucker, pickerel, sauger, and yellow perch--those covered by MPR-364-Frozen Fish and Seafood.

No storage allowances may be added for the months of December through March. plained that the winter fishing season in Canada for lake fish begins in November and early December and continues through March, and that during this period much of these species of fish are sold in the United States.

Consumers of frozen Canadian lake fish may have to pay from 3 to 4 cents per pound more for these items during October and November. On a yearly basis the average increase to consumers will be from 1 to 2 cents per pound. Sales of fish at retail are on a percentage mark-up over cost.

Amdt. 22 to MPR-364--Frozen Fish and Seafood--became effective October 3, 1944. Excerpts

New base prices for frozen halibut produced at all Alaskan ports and sold in the United States were announced October 20 by the OPA. These prices are lower than previously announced base prices for Alaskan halibut. However, processors and wholesalers will now be permitted to include as part of their maximum prices a transportation allowance from Alaska to ports of entry in the United States. This action will result in an increase of one-half cent per pound for frozen dressed halibut sold by processors to wholesalers in the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain States.

Consumers do not normally buy dressed halibut. This fish is first processed into steaks and fillets for such sales. Therefore, the increase in the price of dressed fish will result in no increase at retail, OPA said. Furthermore, lower base prices have been established for steaks and fillets that have been processed from Alaskan halibut. These lower prices will not be fully reflected at the consumer level because of the increased transportation allowance from Alaska to U. S. ports of entry. However, the price for these styles of dressing of frozen halibut will be decreased by about one cent per pound on sales to consumers.

Processors and wholesalers in states other than Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming will continue to price frozen halibut as they previously have done, on the basis of a price no greater than the Prince Rupert, British Columbia, price plus the transportation allowance to their customary receiving point.

Processors and wholesalers in the listed states price by using the approximate base price and transportation allowance as provided in the regulation generally.

The changes in this measure now make the pricing scheme for frozen Alaskan halibut similar to the pricing scheme for fresh Alaskan halibut.

Amdt. 23 to MPR-364--Frozen Fish and Seafood--became effective October 25, 1944. Excerpts follow:

Maximum Price Regulation No. 364 is amended in the following respects:

1. Section 2 (e) is amended to read as follows:

(e) Special provisions applicable to processor's sales of frozen halibut. The processor in determining his maximum price under the provisions of any of the preceding paragraphs of this Section 2 for frozen halibut which he sells or delivers from a distribution point located outside Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming shall use as his base price plus any transportation allowance whichever of the following is lower: (1) The base price listed in section 13 for frozen halibut which was originally landed fresh on the

Pacific Coast of Canada plus the rail
rate for frozen fish for the type of ship-
ment used from Prince Rupert, British
Columbia, to the processor's distribution
point; or (2) the appropriate base price
listed in section 13 with respect to the
point of landing plus the transportation
allowance provided in section 4.

2. Section 3 (b) (3) is amended to read
as follows:

(3), Net cost for sales of halibut. The wholesaler in determining his "net cost" in accordance with the provisions of section 3 (b) (1) and (2) for frozen halibut which he sells or delivers from a distribution point located outside Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming shall use as

the base price, plus any transportation allowance permitted him or his supplier, whichever of the following is lower: (1) The appropriate base price listed in section 13 for frozen halibut which was originally landed fresh on the Pacific Coast of Canada plus the rail rate for frozen fish for the type of shipment used from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to his established place of business; or (2) the appropriate base price listed in section 13 with respect to the point of landing plus the transportation allowance permitted him or his supplier in section 4.

3. In section 4 a new paragraph (d) is added to read as follows:

(d) Alaskan halibut shipped to the United States. Halibut shipped from