FOOD SUPPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 January 1918, Page 6

FOOD SUPPLY.

QUEUES 2'/j MILES LONGAbout 500 butchers waited for hours one day recently at Smith field for the special release of 3000 New Zealand lambs. It was estimated that 10 000 were required for the week-end needs of the poor. There was no beef on the market. Instead butchers displayed a heterogeneous collection of cold-storage edibles —corn beef, livers, kidneys, baked beans, and .'ondensed milk. Remarkable scenes were witnessed in the snow-bound streets. The crowds bought whatever was avail-, able in lieu of meat. They paid 2s lOd per lb for inferior cuts of Irish bacon. Other principal shortages were in butter, margarine, and tea. There were numerous feod queues two miles and a half long. Smokers deplore the disappearance of several of their favorite brands of cigarettes, owing to the needs of the Army. Lord Rhonuila is confident in his belief that rationing will surmount the difficulties of food distribution. Protests are pouring in against the appropriations of food Shocks in rnusI euins, which Mr. Lloyd George is con- [ sidering. In view of the world's shortage of food the use of whale meat has been suggested. The South Kensington Museum lias reported to the Foreign Office on tlia numbers, geographical distribution. and best methods of capturing and killing whales. Scientists are investigating the food values to the Empire of wild birds' eggs. The acuteness of the meat shortage at the week-end left the public in a bad temper. They we»e ominously impatient nt the lack of supplies. Peterborough induced the Pood Committee to authorise wholesale butchers to kill more beasts and sell them. Tiie first customer was served at 7 o'clock in the morning. The discontent in Woolwich led the authorities to commandeer the butchers' supplies at Plumstead and distribute them among munition workers. Angry scenes were witnessed at Northampton, where two women came to blows over the last joint, which a third customer appropriated, and the contestants got none.

Mr. J. R. Clvnes (Ministry of Food), speaking at Manchester, indicated the rationing would be limited to five or six important articles of food. The Central Advisory Committee for Meat Supplies is generally of opinion that the position resulting from the shortage of fat cattle will shortly improve. Recently, owing to the lack of feeding-stuffs, the cattle were not fattened as usual, nnd large numbers were slaughtered. The committee predicts that the new regulations will check excessive .slaughtering. Meanwhile the supply of beef must be reduced by one-half, demanding that all consumers exercise the greatest, economy. Steps are bcin? taken to prevent excessive slaughtering of sheep. The butchers in the United Kingdom are being organised into associations to assist Lord Rhondda (Food Controller) in fair districution. and to provide the foundation of an citieioit system of rationing. The Cnv ■■ first took over control of nl! i, reaching the markets, supplies h cated proportionately among the | The next step is to fix a quota for each area and each individual butcher.