BRITAIN'S FOOD PROBLEM.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 December 1917, Page 5

BRITAIN'S FOOD PROBLEM.

NO NEED FOR QUEUES. BETTER DISTRIBUTION NEEDED. Received 11.30. LONDON, Dec 19. Lord Rhondda, in a speech at Islington, said every food queue was a centre of possible mischief, they must and will be stopped. The Ministry will support Local Food Committees in initiating schemes for more equable distribution, and the controller will consider a scheme for compelling customers to register at one shop for butter and margarine. Compulsory rationing will probably be necessary, but there is no fear of starvation. The prices of potatoes, meat, bread, margarine and cheese have been reduced. In the last half year the cost of living has fallen ten per cent. The Ministry's measures have precluded the possibility of profiteering. The country was willing to have most drastic regulations so long as the sacrifices were equal.

THE NEW ZEALANDERS

WAGING TRENCH WARFARE

LONDON, December IS Mr Gilmour writes: I visited the New Zealand front at a sector already historic, to which in years to come New Zealanders will make pilgrimages, a spot where many brave boys lie buried. To-day the Maorilanders are waging trench warfare as courageously as those who have gone before. There was considerable shelling of this sector to-day, but the wide extent rendered casualties negligible. When they went into the line after the last battle at Passchendaele on October 12th the Germans had been left pretty much to their own devices. They straggled abcjgt carelessly in the open over adjoining positions. Onr snipers had an extraordinarily exciting time for about three days picking off the enemy until the latter lay low. The German artillery is fairly active against the New Zealand communications, but there are no signs of an attack developing. We have had the advantage of exceptional aerial artillery for hours daily, steadily silencing the enemy batteries.

Every provision has "been made to give the N"ew Zealanders ample Christmas comforts.

New Zealand is at present fortunate in being able to fill gaps with a continuous stream of "fresh troops to keep units at full strength.