VOLUNTARY RATIONS IN BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3044, 3 April 1917, Page 4

VOLUNTARY RATIONS IN BRITAIN

rHE FOOD CONTROLLER'S MAXIMUM

FULL TEXT OF IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

FOUR POUNDS OF BREAD, MJEATjf SUGAR. |

' The following is the full text of tlio. rccent announcement by the British Food Controller (Lord Dcvoiiport), on the subject of voluntary rationing:— The necessity- for some curtailmentof tho nation's food consumption is urgent. An amount sufficient for each individual requires in consequcnco to be stated. The quantity-.indicated .is' being sufficient has been arrived' at oil no haphazard basis, but after i'ull examination of tho-actual position', of stocks immediately available or-visible. Only by tlio adoption of and working to such average apportionment will it bo possible to maintain an adequate margin to meet not only the actual' situation, but contingencies which have, to be allowed for. Tho main factors • taken into reckoning are exigencies as affecting freight ana transport and the necessity to curtail the nation's normal, consumption so as to adjust it to the needs'of tho situation '. • Tho urgency of the position allows of no delay in informing the country; of what is demanded of it. The public require and desiro to have the need explained to them, and only by wholehearted co-operation on the part of all can.the objectJn view be achieved. The three most important staples of daily .consumption are' bread,' meat, and sucar, and forethought.for tlio sustenance of the population requires, a decision as to- whether compulsion is necessary to : 'ensure an equitable distribution and' conservation of available supplies. . Compulsory i rationing to a fixed quantity per head involves a vory elaborate machinery which in itself absorbs labour, and for that reason alone ought to ho avoided Unless absolutely .necessary. Therefore, having carefully. weighed th 6 advantages and disadvantages,' I have come, to tho conclusion that a voluntary system is j)referable until further experience is gained 1 , and to meanwhile rely ori tho nation's instinct of sclf-disciplinc. The allowance indicated, is based on tlio averago weekly con-sumption-of each of theso. commodities which should ho permitted to each person. After consideration ■ of; ayaiaJblo stocks aud probable means of future supplies, the situation requires that - heads-of families > should endeavour to limit -themselves to weekly purchase for each .person comprising the- Jiousehold; of "the following quantities ; per head per week:— •• - / | Bread—Four pounds (or.its equiva- . , lent in flour—threo pouiids for ; .' bread-making). Moat —Two and a half pounds. Sugar—Three-quarters of a pound. The consumption ; of these commodities varies according to; age, sox, occupation; and other conditions. Tlio indicated allowance', therefore, 'provides for adjustment, or apportionment between members of each household in relation to individual heeds:. It is recognised that some persons, eat more bread and' loss meat than ; tho.' quantities indicated- above. • Otliers eat moro -meat and-' less! bread. In all theso cases a resolute effort on the part, of each consumer to reduce con-sumption-by at least ono pound of bread or half a pound of meat per

week, or both, would oasily automatic-1 ally bring about a saving of over-one million tons per annum of theso goods. As regards bread especially, the variation individual consumption is most marked. That is attributable to : tho fact .that tho lower-the scalo of. in- j como and of consequent living the j higher tho bread consumption, for-with/ many in such circumstances meat is j only intermittently comprised iu. the. scalo of dietary, whereas bread constitutes tho ma in staple. Although theso; quantities will form' tho basis of the ! dietary scalo, they will naturally bo supplemented by other food products. The nation is placed upon ( its honour to observe these conditions. , The. effect upon consumption will reveal itself through the statistical returns available to tho Food Controller. Meanwhile, to mcct'Hlie contingency that rationing may become necessary tho 1 machinery to bring such a system into operation fa; being organised so .that, if and when required," it may be ready. It is expected that a patriotic endeavour will bo made by everyone to limit consumption wherever possible to below the standard indicated, and' by so doing render rationing unnecessary. The Food. Controller is confident that every individual will co-opera to loyally. To tho women, of the country, who in .this emergency can exercise-so ■'much, iiiflucnce, a special appeal is made. Economy is not only a patriotic duty, but a necessity. Extravaganco is obviously unpatriotic. The power to purchase L does hot constitute the right, and nobody should obtain more than is pieces-' sary to sufßce. Frugality practised at home will ensure a sufficient supply for qll, despite any effort 'of the enemy, and, as hitherto, an unstinted provision for our soldiers sailors. There-is liardlv a household tliat • lias - not" a direct interest in some loved one fighting for the nation's honour. Nor is comparison possible between their'sacrifice and suffering and the demand which-theso conditions will impose on' tlioso who enjoy at home the gpqyritv which their valour has establised. iA necessary act of self-denial here is a help and aid to those fighting for us on sea and land. .

THE NATION'S FOOD SUPPLY

ROYAL SOCIETY'S ESTIMATE Tho following report on the food supplies of the United Kingdom, drawn up' by a Committee of the Royal Society at the request of the President" of the Board of Trade, has been issued. The first-' problem .dealt with its. the extent and character of tho Jood supply in normal timos. ' j : ■ : For the presentation of tho case it was nccessary to calculate tho amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrate, (the three classes of nutrient substances) contained ,in given foods, and. their total energy value' measured in heat units or calories: A. full consideration of the 'dietary .requirements of a nation for tho most par,engaged in aotive work convinced the; Committee that these requirements could not be satisfactorily mot on a less supply in the food as purchased than IQO grammes protein, 500 gramme's carbohydrate, equal approximately; to 3400 calories per man per day—a man being an average workman doing an average day's work. The. Committee 1 adopted this as their minimum standard, but observe that fats and 'carbohydrates are interchangeable to-a limited extent. Generally speaking, a. \yoman or child requires less food than a;.man, and in reckoning- the Committee estimate every hundred 'men, women, and ciiildrcn as equivalent .to ,77 units, or men: . Tho quantities v of foodstuffs Sv&ilablo during the period 190? to 1913 gave per day per . head-. Protein 87 grammes, fat 100 grammes, carbohydrate 440 grammes—calories, 3091;' per man: Protein 113 grammes, fat 130 grammes, 'carbohydrates 571 calories

4009. The supply, therefore, not onJyj met out requirements in the past, ; but,( calculated on tho Committee's minmmE physiological standard, , provided *j margin which has been cither wasted? or consumed in excess of The above results were based on an., estimated ' average population ofi 45.2,000,000. -T: Equitable Redistribution if Supply is* Reduced. ' \ . . \.- j Estimating the distribution of food! for 1916 on the basis of the pre-war!, supply; tho Committee take the total! population at 46.5,000,000 (including! fighting forces, two million on home''; service and two million in tlio field) and the net civil population nb' 31.8,000,000 "men,". and'find that thai: : amount of food per day per "man", iaj grammes available was: —Military (fonrc • million): Protein 140, fat 180, carbo-l hydrates 571—calories ,4300. Civil l !' population: Protein 106, fat 120, hydrates 063-rcalories:3Bs9.\ '. ■■;■■■• The Committee state that the fignresj show that on the pre-war basis ofsup-' ply the food available for' the civil! population would ,be more than sufficient both as regards supply of proteiiti and of energy, lip to the present (thai report is dated July 1) the supply: o£i food has'provided a general margin ofabout o per cent, above the minimum., necessary for proper nutrition and! ' rathor more as regards tho supply oEj energy, so: that' a reduction to this; extent would still furnish amounts of: the essential food constituents conform- 1 • ing to the Committee'sy standard. ; Should such reduction occur, the Com-; mittce say it could be borne without, serious injury ,to the community, bub ! only on condition that steps were taken! to ensure equitable, distribution of tha : available food throughout the population. The report proceeds: While the supply of food has up the present been adequate for the support oi the population, the rise in prices has the inequalities of distribution.' which reduce the daily ration of many below, the level of efficiency. Any curtail-; ment of supplies, even to a limited extent, would result in the poorer classes obtaining less than it needful for safety, should distribution remain, disor- , ganised. The Committee, as physiologists, desire to lay stress on; the fact that in buying food the labouring population is buying energy, the' power to do work. Increased cpst of food (other, things'being equal) means increased •cost of production. If -rising - prices curtail for any class of the community; its accustomed supply of food, its output of work will of necessity be reduced.' It is important to remember that a slight reduction of food below the , necessary amount causes a largo diminution in the working efficiency of the individual. The Question of Be®r. . On the'question of-the. eebnomyj of food which might be effected by the prohibition of browing, the, committee, confining themselves to /the' 'quantities : : of food'and' of energy . available for human'use by. tho diversion of brewing materials to any- other purpose, say that beer,-, together with the milk obtained indirectly from' by-products of a brewery, contains between 28 ; and 59 • per cent, of "the' energy and less. than. ' 27 per cent.' of' the protein of the origi- . nal material; whereas if these' materials were not brewed,' : but" utilised . in. tha theoretically best possible manner, about 71 per cent. 1 of. the energy and 68 per. cent-, of tho protein ; would bef recovered as human food.: This very high" recovery is possible only if tha use of the barley and other materials as food for livestock is equally prohibited. -If, ,as would otherwise be the case; ' they; were converted into meat only 15 per cent. of. the ;energy and 17 per cent; " of tho protein' would ba realised as human food.