□HE Department of Agriculture recently announced expectations that the aver age American would eat about 142 pounds of meat in 195:1. This estimate is about three pounds below the average consump tion of 1952 and the Department explains that while meat supplies this year are about equal to those in 1952, an increase in population will make the supply per indi vidual less. The Department reported a fifteen per cent jump in beef supplies, which might tend to depress beef prices somewhat in coming months. It also reported a drop in

67.7%