More than 5,000 kosher meat retailers in Greater New York and an equal number in various cities throughout the country are affected by the NRA code for their industry which becomes effective today by executive order of President Roosevelt.
Enforcement of fair trade provisions of the code marks the end of a long period of cut-throat price slashing which drove many butchers out of business, according to David S. Andron, counsel for the Federation of Kosher Butchers, who was instrumental in framing the code and gaining its approval.
The code forbids malicious price-cutting, misrepresentation of the quality of meat, and sale of non-kosher meat as kosher. It also specifies that meat prices may be fixed “in an emergency.” It further provides that kosher butcher shops must close on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
A national conference to elect a code authority and work out details of administration will be held at the Hotel Pennsylvania on January 8 and 9, Charles Cohen, president of the Federation of Kosher Butchers, announced yesterday. He said thirty regional code authorities will bet set up throughout the country.
The code was approved by NRA authorities last month and signed by President Roosevelt on December 21 after one and-and-a-half years of negotiation during which chain groceries and the food code authority bitterly opposed a separate code for the kosher butchers.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
