FOOD RESERVES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20006, 3 August 1939, Page 15

FOOD RESERVES

BRITAIN LAGGING IMPORTANCE TN AVAR CABI NET RESPONSIBILITY LONDON, July 11. A warning that the Government should build up a proper food reserve, instead of the present few , weeks’ extra, sitpplv, is, sounded by the Air Raid Defence League. It points out that. Germany has accumulated- a six-months’ emergency stock of food. Moreover, Germany is now 80 per cent self-sufficient, in contrast with Britain’s 30 per cent. Britain imports £180.000,000 worth of food in six months, and yet the Government had allocated only £14,000,000 for extra food, fertilisers and petrol. Worse Than Last War The News- Chronicle, in a leader, says:— , "Britain’s prospects of maintaining i’oed (imports in wartime are worse than during the last war, because ‘here are fewer merchantmen andmere population. "The Government has announced the purchase of canned herrings. That is n-o-t good enough. Britain was nearly starved out during 1917, but managed to starve out Germany in 1918. A future conflict would also be decided on the food front.” Surveying Britain’s stocks of food and raw materials, the News Chronicle declares that, from -the point of view of emergency reserves, -the position is deteriorating. Generally Below Normal Compared with last year, it asserts, stocks- are generally below normal, or are gravely deficient. Onilyi Wheat ana tin, the paper says, are relatively satisfactory, wheat port stocks being 2,710,000 quarters, compared with 1,499,000 last year, and tin warehouse stocks 30,000 tons, compared with 693 tons. On the other hand, stocks of raw sugar on M-ay 31 were 414,000 tons, compared with 440,000 in 1937, the former including a Government holding of 150,000 to 200,000 tons. Traders’ refund l stocks are probably 25 per cent bc-10-w normal. Cotton stocks are 694,000 bales, compared with 1,138,000, and rubber stocks- 63,600 tons in London and Liverpool warehouses—ivhi-ch is dangerous, the paper says, for such a highly infiammab 1 e commodity —compared with 92,460, and manufacturers' stocks 17,000 -tons, compared with 25,000. Copper stocks are 30,000 tons, or six weeks’ consumption, compared' with 35,000. Traders Fear Risk The News Chronicle adds -that merchants’ and manufacturers’ stocks arenot -known, but are probably, lower th-an usual, because of the lower tendency of prices, while, where huge stocks of a commodity, are hanging ever the market or a huge supply is dammed up by international restrictions, private traders dare not risk holding -abnormal reserves. The Government, it declares, must assume much greater responsibility for (maintaining -and- strengthening the reserves. “It is Insane to do nothing towardi building up reserves of vital imports,” Mr. J. M. Keynes, the economist, says in The Times. "I hiave- not -heard any reason, given by the Government for its inactivity,” he adds. He says -that wheat prices are almost at their lowest, ships are idle and the Dominions are eager to sell. Moreover, money thus spent would not be wasted, even if the emergency passes.