FOOD PRICES IN FRANCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1745, 7 August 1917, Page 4

FOOD PRICES IN FRANCE.

A statement regarding the cost of living in France was recently made by M. Maurice Violette, Minister of Food Control. “The cost of living has been trebled since 1014 in the towns, but food prices in the 'country have been much lower,” he said, “The curse of high prices is the middleman. Abolish him and all will go well. I found municipal meat shops in the provinces where prices one-third less than in Paris. The food situation in Paris will be a source of. anxiety until August; ljut, all going well, we will face the winter without fear. It is easier to detect the hoarder than the speculator, as speculation may be merely a question of paper representing food. We rely on the Department Prefect to report excessive prices and then swoop down and requisition the food. Recently ail the rice in Marseilles was requisitioned' after a disgraceful case of cornering food supplies. While (he transport question has been a great difficulty, it is sometimes the means of controlling prices in a certain district in France which specialises in early potatoes. Knowing this, a number of persons in Paris sought to speculate, and sold potatoes scandalously high. We forbade the railroads to transport potatoes for those speculators, and the price of the commodity immediately dropped in Paris. I am arranging to open price control offices which will help to beat the speculators.”