GREAT FOOD PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1917, Page 7

GREAT FOOD PROBLEM.

EUROPE'S WHEAT SHORTAGE. PLIGHT OF AUSTRIA, The West Australian Minister for Industries, Mr. J. Mitchell, has received an interesting letter bearing on the food problem from, a member of a prominent London firm: The writer says:— "Austria will be starving by June next. That is a definitely established fact. Her allies may be rather better off, but not much so. There can be no relief by way of grain till the crops sown in the winter of 1917-18 are harvested and become available, say, in June, 191$, at tho earliest, for Europe's main food supply is what she grows. Flocks and herds cannot be built up in one year, or possibly in ten. Assume that peace comes in June, just to make a date, where is the food to come from to meet tho Central Empires' requirements? France and England, and all the neutral i are finding difficulty in getting theirs now. Where is the supply and tonnage to carry it to come from to feed 15,000,000 people in the Central Empires? "Russian stocks' are small. Her growing crops will be smaller. Grain is nearly as dear there as it is here. In North and South America, and in all other neutral countries, the call for men, for metals, shells, ships, chemicals, and every other munition, backed by big wages! ar.d big profits, has drained the agricultural districts, and production has on one hand suffered, and the consumption, by reason of the high wages, has been increased. We have got to grow every ounce of food we can. Every ounce Australia can spare will be required in due course, even though it may have to be temporarily stored."