FOOD RATIONING IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 235, 22 June 1918, Page 4

FOOD RATIONING IN ENGLAND

ENFORCED PLAIN LIVING AN INTERVIEW Hut/ 1 fortunate this country is in that it lias felt so little tlio effects of the war compared to other countries is only to be gathered by a close perusal of English papers and by conversation ivith people who have recently come from .that part of the world. 'J'his country knows nothing of food queues, of food rationing, of any shortage of food whatever, mid to hear what Dr. .lessic lladdison (recently returned from England) had to say regarding England's food supplies and their distribution was to rcaliso that New Zealand has yet to learn what war may mean to a combatant country. A food card is an interesting object, and without it man, woman, or child is a helpless individual indeed in Eng. land. Coupons for margarine (not butter), coupons for meat, were the only means by which such necessaries could bo obtained, and woe betided the unlucky persons who lost their enrds. A meat coupon entitled its holder to a slice of went of a certain size and weight per day, and as there are, or w.-re p.t' tho time Dr. Maddison left England, two meatless days a week, it can bo seen that meat was not a prominent item of , the menu. Not even bacon was allowed on the meatless days, fish, eggs, legumes etc., being tho substitutes. It would seem, however, that tho rationin? did not apply to the whole of England" and that there wero districts in which these tilings could bo obtained as in pre-war days. London, however, was most stvic.t. ly rationed, and being under tho direct eye of the Government it was always t!w hrst place to which fresh restrictions of any kind were applied. So strictly was tho law earned out in London that not nS °, U , iH. 1 abundance of meat, or butter which farmers or people in tho country might possess, were they allowed to give to needy friends in . Clt y. "or "'ore people allowed to receive presents of these commodities from iriends or relatives iu Ireland wi«S ;l , Ivhat . h W"!d-'when a person wiihed to go from ono town to another l)r Mnddison stated that the controlling authorities in tho town in which tho o n f a ?hA or nr Ome ? liv °i ■ £ ad , to bo noticed of tho place to which tho person intended Ifoing, and of how long ho or isho intended to bo there, and arrangements \VMH,T 1)0n i 3 T e m " (le accordingly. With bread and sugar also strictly limited, it could easily bo gathered thit the distribution ofi tlie food supplies T)r \f Wer ° ?'. nsr WBll guarded, and i™ w S0 " con81 ? 0re(1 Hint the rationing system was undoubtedly a groat improvement upon queues. To St-house-keepers and hotelkoepcw, howeve? it sometimes presented many difficulties but'«,w vi9i^ors arrived, H.L St and "wt"was al there was nbout it.

I'popular-in England, and in addition to growing them in some of London's wellknown parks, allotments wore taken up on the commons, notably Clnphimi Common, nnd other ground spaces Hint offered a reasonable chance of success ir- the growing of vegetables. The results 'of their labours belonged to the persons who grew tho vegetables. One of tlio serious effects of the food short-agp was that which it had upon the infant lifo of (lie country, as the mothers not getting, the food'proper (o their condition, the babies naturally suffered in elaminn and physique. Mid wore less nblo to fight against ir.fantilo troubles. As Dr. Maddison. after worknig in the Wbnriicliffo Military Hospital fov some fifteen months, left it for t" 10 "omen's lying-in Hospital in York iioad (London), she was nblo lo speak from personal observation, and when to that had in bo added a decreased birthrate it would appear that, (ho toll of war was taken not. only on the battlefield but also far behind the lines, and upon the most helpless part of humanity.

Hostesses at the Soldiers' Club, Sydney btreet, for the coming week are as follow:—Sunday, Lady Stout; Monday Wellington College Old Girlsj Tuesday, Mrs W. Stewart; Wednesday, Mrs. C.'EorleThursday, Ladies of St. Mark's; Friday Mrs. G. W. Russell; Saturday, Ladies of Eutt.

Tho many friends of the Mayoress Mrs: 3/ P. Luke, will bo glad to hear that, although still very weak, she was a little better yesterday.

The Kelburn Boy Scouts will collect bottles in Kelburn to-day, and residents in that district are asked to have all their bottles ready when they call. Mrs. C. Mirams's house in Upland Road'and Mrs. von Haast's house in Salamanca Road are receiving depots for bottles and tins.

In connection with the raffle organised by the doctors' wives and drawn at the Wellington lUi Cross shop yesterday, N. B. Pascall. Petone, was the winner of tho electric vacuum cleaner, Mr, A. V. O'Brien (Dominion Office) the winner of the sewing machine motor, Mies Staulj, c/o Mr. G. Mee, Wellington, the T»dy Torrington vacuum cleaner, nnd M. Galligan, Lyall Bay, tho pair of military brushes.