44 33 39 Sole, Petrale. Round 20 18 30 42 39 Cod.... Sole, Petrale. Fillets These are retail prices in the highest priced stores purchasing on a "cash-and-carry" basis and located in port areas, exclusive of transportation allowances. A provision in the action requires all retail food stores to redetermine their proper group classification on the basis of gross sales volume for the calendar year 1943, by June 15, 1944. At present, these stores are classified according to their sales volume in 1942. There are four group classifications and each group is provided with specific mark-ups to be used in setting their ceiling prices for fresh fish and seafood. This redetermination is required so that all stores will be properly grouped on as nearly a current basis as possible. The groups are: A Group 1 store is an independent store doing an annual gross business of less than $50,000. A Group 2 store is an independent store doing an annual gross business of from $50,000 to $250,000. A Group 3 store is a chain store doing an annual gross business of less than $250,000. A Group 4 store is a chain store or an independent store which does an annual gross business of $250,000 or more. If the 1943 gross sales of a particular store have not changed enough to cause that store to move into a new group classification, then the store makes no change in its ceiling prices or its method of calculating its ceilings. If, however, the gross sales in 1943 were so much greater than a store's 1942 volume that the store now falls into a new group, that store must, after June 15, 1944, use the mark-ups provided for its proper group in computing its ceiling prices. Upon the basis of available information, OPA believes that this redetermination of store groups will result in some lowering of mark-ups and consequent lower retail food prices. Another important part of the provision is that Groups 2, 3 and 4 retail stores must now post only their current selling price. Previously, they were required to post their ceiling prices for each item and also their selling price when that was below the ceiling. Maximum retail prices on the community ceiling price list must still be posted in these stores. In the same action, the OPA has authorized the Administrator for Region 8 (California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada) to establish retail mark-ups for certain species of fresh fish and seafood not covered by the wholesale and retail regulations. Earlier, the Administrator for Region 8 was authorized to fix wholesale prices for such species (See Amendment No. 20 to Maximum Price Regulation No. 418--Fresh Fish and Seafood). The prices to be set by the Administrator for Region 8 are effective only in the boundaries of that region, OPA said. This action was taken because of the number of perishable species of fresh fish and seafood consumed along the Pacific Coast-items which do not move into other regions in any appreciable quantities. Because of the restricted area in which these items moved, OPA decided not to include them in the national regulation. Amendment No. 4 to Maximum Price Regulation No. 507-Ceiling Prices of Certain Fresh Fish and Seafood Sold at Retail-became effective May 25, 1944. Excerpts follow: 1. Section 5 is amended to read as follows: SEC. 5. Prices which you must post. At all times, you must have your current selling price for each item covered by this regulation clearly shown at the place where you offer the item for sale. Of course, this posted price must never exceed your ceiling price. 2. A new section 12 (a) is added to read as follows: (a) Effective May 25, 1944, this regulation requires that the year 1943 be used as the basis for figuring your annual gross sales instead of the year 1942. If you find that as a result of that change, your store is in a different group from the one it was in before, you must, by the opening of business on Thursday, June 15, 1944, refigure all of your ceiling prices. You must use as your "net cost" the same "net cost" you would have used in refiguring your ceiling price on that Thurs day under section 3 of this regulation. 3. A new section 12a is added to read as follows: SEC. 12a. Delegation to Regional Administrator for Region VIII. The Regional Aministrator for Region VIII may, by order, fix cents-per-pound mark-ups over "net cost" for sales by retail stores, retail route sellers and wagon retailers of those species of fresh fish and seafood for which no mark-ups have been estab lished in Maximum Price Regulation No. 507 and for which the Regional Administrator, under the authority of section 20 (a) of Maximum Price Regulation No. 418, has by order fixed maximum prices for sales at other levels of distribution: Provided, however, That the mark-ups so established shall not exceed those generally prevailing during 1942. The Regional Administrator for Region VIII shall issue with each order an opinion setting out that the above conditions have been satisfied. Each order shall include all of the provisions of general applicability in Maximum Price Regulation No. 507. Any order issued pursuant to this section shall apply to the area designated by the Regional Administrator. but in no event shall the order extend beyond the limits of Region VIII. 4. In section 17 (c), the date June 24, 1944, is substituted for the date March 1, 1944. 5. Section 18 is amended to read as follows: SEC. 18. Applications for adjustment. Any Regional Office of the OPA, or such offices as may be authorized by order issued by the appropriate Regional Office, may act on all applications for adjustment under the provisions of this regulation, and may deny any application filed under section 17 or revoke any order granting adjustment under that section if denial of such application would not cause the applicant a substantial financial hardship. Applications for adjustment are governed by Revised Procedural Regulation No. 1. 6. Section 19 is amended to read as follows: SEC. 19. How you find the "annual gross sales" of your store. (a) To find your "annual gross sales", take your total sales for the calendar year 1943. Include all sales as shown on your books, except sales by a restaurant in conjunction with your store. You can use your Federal Income Tax Return to get your gross sales for all or part of the calendar year 1943 which is covered by such return. If you own more than one store, figure the sales for each store separately, treating each as a separate retailer. (b) If you were not in business during the entire year 1943, you must divide your total sales from the time you began operation up to January 26, 1944, by the number of weeks you were in business. This will get you your weekly 23. Rock (Red) Cod, Pacific. 25. Salmon, Chinook, King.. 26. Salmon, Silver... 27. Salmon, Pink 28. Salmon, Fall 29. Sauger, Sand Pike 30. Smelt, Silver, Pacific. 31. Sole, Dover 32. Sole. English. 34. Sole, Sand 35. Sole, Turbot 36. Tuna, Albacore 37. Tuna, Bluefin. 38. Tuna, Skipjack, Striped 39. Tuna, Yellowfin 40. Yellowtail, Pacific 7888~~∞∞∞8888 888 8 8 9 10 10 9 6 10 9 9 9 11 11 10 776776 6 7. 10 10 8 to sections 12a and 26, for which it shall become effective May 18, 1944. Frozen Fish Trade MAY 1 HOLDINGS IN U.S. 141 PERCENT GREATER THAN 1943 Holdings of frozen fishery products in United States cold-storage warehouses on May 1 totaled 51,568,000 pounds, 3 percent below stocks held on April 1, but 141 percent over holdings on May 1 a year previous, according to Current Fishery Statistics No. 125 issued by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Compared with May 1, 1943, all important items except halibut were held in greater volume, the majority by wide margins. Halibut stocks were 65 percent below those on May 1, 1943. The delay in the opening of the halibut season contributed to the decrease in the holdings of this item. + 26 38 8,241,000 8,142,000 16,602,000 273,000 1,943,000 2,945,000 102,000 -63 - 97 Since the date for reporting holdings of fishery products was changed from the 15th to the first of the month beginning January 1, 1943, data included in the "5-yr. average" consist of a combination of figures for the two periods. APRIL FREEZINGS OF FISHERY PRODUCTS ABOVE THOSE OF MARCH There were 17,647,000 pounds of fishery products frozen in United States freezers during the month of April, according to the Service's Current Fishery Statistics No. 125. This was an increase of 57 percent over the amount frozen in March, 77 percent more than April 1943, and 13 percent above the 5-year average for April. All important items except halibut, sablefish, and sea herring were frozen in much greater quantity than during April 1943. Since the date for reporting freezings of fishery products was changed from the 15th to the first of the month beginning January 1, 1943, data included in the "5-yr. average" consist of a combination of figures for the two periods. **Less than 500 pounds. 2 - 25 318,000 304,000 414,000 +690 3,000 44,000 +75 38 741,000 330,000 925,000 ABUNDANT FISH SUPPLIES CROWD NEW YORK'S STORAGE SPACE IN APRIL Holdings of fishery products in New York City's cold-storage warehouses on May 1 reversed last month's downward trend, to show an increase of 8 percent over holdings of April 1, and an increase of 120 percent over holdings on May 1, 1943, according to the Service's Market News office in New York. The increase might have been greater had more freezer space and sufficient labor been available for all the fish that dealers wanted to store. expected abundance of certain species such as striped bass, scup, butterfish, shad, and mackerel, which were received in April in amounts up to 500 percent greater than in 1943, caused an oversupply of the market and large quantities had to be stored. Shrimp again showed a marked decrease as very little fresh shrimp were received. Smelt and salmon showed decreases for the same reason. Freezers were reporting large quantities of unclassified salt-water species and were unable, for the time being, to place them in their correct classifications. Cold-storage holdings of fish and shellfish in Boston warehouses on April 26 increased 1 percent over March 29, according to the Service's Market News office in Boston. They continued to show marked increase over 1943, gaining 406 percent over April 28 of that year. Stocks of groundfish fillets increased greatly. Mackerel fillets showed heavy movement both in and out as early season production was felt and other mackerel moved out to make room for new stocks. Scallop holdings increased over both a month and a year previous, although there has been a pronounced scarcity of this product in the regular channels of trade. Shrimp in-movements were much smaller than withdrawals. CHICAGO HOLDINGS REMAIN HIGH DESPITE 13 PERCENT DECREASE IN APRIL Total holdings of fishery products in Chicago cold-storage warehouses on April 27 amounted to 6,086,000 pounds, according to the Service's Chicago Fishery Market News office. Although this total was a decline of 13 percent from that of March 30, it was over three times the holdings of April 29, 1943, and was comparable to the normally higher holdings of the fall and winter months. With the periods of heavier fish production approaching, there is considerable concern over the effect these large stocks of fish in storage may have on the marketing of fresh fish. Fresh-water species showing the greatest gains over 1943 were blue pike, lake herring, lake trout and whitefish, the latter two also being held in greater quantity than on March 30. Indications were that stocks of these species would not be reduced to normal levels by the time the approaching producing season arrives. Important gains in stocks of salt-water fish were shown for cod fillets, mackerel and salmon. Salmon holdings were considered not too large to be withdrawn before large fresh stocks arrive. There were 4,154,000 pounds of fresh fish and 481,000 pounds of smoked fish frozen in Canadian freezers in April, according to preliminary data furnished by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. Total fresh fish freezings were 15 percent greater than those of April 1943, and fresh cod fillets, which were frozen in greater volume than any other item, gained 38 percent. |