Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 70, 19 October 1916, Page 6

Great Britain

THE FOOD PROBLEM.

PROPOSED BRITISH ACTION.

Press Association —Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. - London, October 17, In the House of Cofhm|ixs,i /Mr , Barnes raised the question offood prices. He said that the time had come when ho favored nfqioin L‘ment of a Food Minister. It miglit be necessary to have food tickets, and the 'Food Commission sliodild have power to lix prices. The high prices of bacon and milk were a public 1 danger, and due to the manipulation of waste. Farmers who had at one tiipe .given milk to their pigs had no% thrown it into drains in order to maintain prices. Rt. Hon. Gecil'ge Lambert said that the country was threatened with a serious shortage- of home-grown supplies during tne coming year, owing to the withdrawal of tmny per cent, of labor. •* Mr Runciman said that the Gov- > eminent was .prepared to take any steps to prevent the' exploitation ot toed. Ho pointed out that the raised prices were partly due to munition and other well-paid workers .demanding the best cuts of meat, and the .best of other food. The consuming capacity of the people had'very largely increased.; Trawlers were trawnn B for mines instead of fish. Eggs wiucn were formerly, imported from Russia weffe eutti/ig supplies, and had raised prices. He was making arrangements with the Wifi' Oilice to provide farmers, with sufficient milkers, and he would take steps to make it, a criminal offence to wilfully destroy milk. The Government had taken steps to ketVp'down the price of meat, and had made arrangements to get* niofe supplies' for the retail trade than ever before. The - Government’s purchases, already amounted to sixty millions. We' are supplying the Italian and French armies, in addition to thet British army. The Government' had eliminated the mi'ddlemai/h profit' strictly limited the merchants’ profit, and had taken steps to keep up the necessary margin in whest. Sir K. *• Carsqji interjected: Has 'T l)eqp,^ l ,auy ; .,-exploitation of wheat?*-: - Mr Runcini'iu: There is absolutely bo evideil.ee « ; te that effect in connection with the arrangements . made with Australia. By arrange- j ■ inent with Australia they had a very • large amount of wheat in hand, and were prepared to extend operations. Mr Runciman added that the best insure the quickest despatch j was to pay wheat carriage on a basis! of voyage charter, giving an ineentivo to all concerned to run j their vessels quickly. tful of a total freight o! ten thousand vessels, only eleven hundred ocean-goers were free to conduct their own operations. The Admirnlty had agreed with many directors of shipping companies to utilise fewer vessels of great bulk in the me ■cantile marine under their control. Only

a small fraction of the mercantil . marine was running under free rates and only sixty whereof were bringing foodstuffs. The remainder were run niiig under Blue’ Book rates, or nuclei fixed rates bearing no relation ti ordinary rates.* These facts ought to he known, in view of the hubbub Outside freights had very little, tc do’ with the increased cost of food. For -example, Canadian cheese wsu 4d or 5d higher, but the freights were only aid higher. The real cause was the shortage of shipping. The Government was doing itri host to assist in the construction of now vessels, with the utmost rapidity. We had lost in tho war period, as a result of the enemy’s action, ordinary marine risks of two million gross tonnage, more than the entire mercantile marines of France,.,, Spain, or Italy prior to tho* war. The Allies.’ losses had also been heavy. He believed that the Government dealt with these problems, on the right lines. Wo, must avoid putting ourselves in tlio position of a blockaded people. Bread tickets and meat cards wore all artificial arrangements, harmful to those least able to hear them. Mr Runcimau further stated that the moat transactions meant an enormous amount of insulated tonnage. At present the anionnb sent from the River Plate totalled 450,000 tons a year, and tho Australasian supply was still ’greater. The Government had to readjust prices with the Australian Government owing to the increased working costs, iint lio increase had been paid to shipowners since the war, and they must continue at 'the same rate until the war was over.