WORLD TO GO SHORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1918, Page 6

WORLD TO GO SHORT.

BRJSA-D DEFICIENCY NEXT YEAR. London, Oct. 13. Grave warnings of a world shortage that will follow the war —a shortage not only of foodstuffs, but of all commodities —were uttered" by Mr. Sidney Webb and Sir Arthur Yapp, tlie new Director of Food Economy. Mr. Sidney Webb's unhappy prophecies were made in the course of a lector; l on ''The Coming World Shortage" at the London School of Economics. "Economists used lo say thai the devastation of war was repaireiKjn due course. That was true of others wars, but not of this, declared Mr. Webb, who pointed out that when peace comes it i will come not only suddenly but unexpectedly, and then we shall be forced to face a great world shortage, signs of which are alreadv visible.

"Wheat, the greatest factor in the world's food supply, is at tlie present time at its lowest," said Mr. Webb, "and this year's harvest in all the great wheatproducing countries is exceedingly low, with the result that there will be a shortage next year of about a pound per head per day. The flocks and herds of the world to-day are very much smaller, and even the once-despised pig is rapidly disappearing. "The consumption of metals, oil, coal, wool, hides, leather, and timber is altogether in excess of present production. There are plenty of these things in and under the earth, but there is no labor to produce them. At the present, time about 45,000,000 workmen are. engaged on munitions, or about one-eighth of the whole population of the world." War, pointed out Mr. Webb, is a great master and destroyer of products, not only actually, but in wear and tear of energies and material. The amount of economy to be set'tip against this was comparatively small, and the result was a problem which no Chancellor of the Exchequer had yet successfully tackled or seemed inclined to tackle.

"After the war," lie added, "there will be an abnormal demand for many things which it will be impossible to supply owing to shortage of workers and materials. The dislocation of this war is colossal, and even the most rapid demobilisation will not prevent a long [interval before there was a complete reconstruction of our labor forces. Added to this there will be enormous difficulties of transport, and a gTeat scarcity of raw materials.

"All this," declared Mr. Webb, in conclusion, "will load to a general world shortage of materials and food, and we

ought to encase P.I. once in the task of re-victmil|iiig Europe i» we are to avoid general ami' ln.. ;< 1 (amine. J believe the principle ol priority as applied to exports will play a large part ill solving Iho problems which arc before us." Sir Artlmr Yapp's prophecy of a world forced to economy, which he made at Hiiddcrslicld last night. was a warning not only of a shortage of food and the commodities of every-day life, but a shortage of men and money as well.

"We have to realise,'' he said, "that there is a world shortage of food to-dav. In many of the countries of our Allies there has not been raised more than half the amount of wheat that was raised in the first year of the war. The reason is that the manhood of those countries has been withdrawn from the farms, and is almost entirely taking part in the war.

"Then there is a world shortage of tonnage, and we sometimes fait to realise the large amount, of tonnage which has been diverted from its usual channels and now used for naval purposes.

"There is likely to be a world shortage of money—that is another reason for economy—and there would be a world shortage of men.'' Sir Arthur then said there was no need for panic so far as our food position was concerned, but there was the most urgent need for economy in all foods. He appealed to everyone to deny themselves, and said that when there was a shortage of any particular food —unless it was an absolute necessity—tbev should economise in it or give it up altogether.

"I want to enlist everyone in the great food economy campaign which we hope to launch soon, said Sir Arthur finally. "I do not think anyone believes more strongly than I do in voluntary effort. We shall need millions of workers in this economy campaign, and the one thing I want to emphasise is the tromenl dons need there is, not merely for economy generally, but that everyone should economise in every possible way. "Little economies in food, in avoiding waste in, little things, will do something to shorten the war."