NO FEAR OF FAMINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1918, Page 7

NO FEAR OF FAMINE.

BRITAIN'S FOOL) BUPPLY. ... TWO YEARS-AHEAD OF GKftMANY. In a review of the food situation in Britain, Lord- Rhojidda-.'.Htated at the Aldwyeh Club that there was no fear whatever of famine in the country. At tho same time, a reduced consumption of food was essential, and what he wanted to get was equality of sacrifice. "I 1 do not want to arouse in the public mind any unnecessary alarm," said Lord Rhondda. "I only want toinipress upon the public that, it is absolutely essential that they should greatly reduce consumption of food as compared with what they were consuming before the war. There is no getting over that. At the same time, if we act patriotically, as I know we shall, and the people will realise the position and act up to the neees. sities of the case, there is no fear whatever of famine. Famine is entirely a wrong word. AVhat the greedy grousers of this country speak of as famine the hungry German would look upon as luxury. I think I can reasonably promise you that when compulsory rationing conies in for certain articles it will be on the basis of giving the consumer 50 per cent, more than is given I precariously to the, German to-day. Broadly speaking, we have arrived at a stage to-day which Germany reached two years ago. We are two years ahead of them with respect to our food supplies. | Theirs is a parlous condition.

APPEAL TO ALL CLASSES. They _ had heard something about rcßtaura'nts in the West End. Ho wanted to say very emphatically that in regard to appeals made for economy in the consumption of foodstuffs lie believed that.what was known as the middle class and the rich had responded to a far larger extent to that appeal than the wage-earning people of the country. This perhaps was partly due to the fact that the wage-earning class had not thought the appeal was made directly to them as to others. They must understand now that they constituted a huge majority, and, unless they made sacrificesand reduced consumption, the reduced, consumption of the wealthy people, who were comparatively few in number, would be of very little avail in meeting tho 1 crisis.

Speaking of the farmers, Lord Rhondda said there was no evidence that ■ farmers were deliberately withholding supplies. .On the other hand.he had received many assurances that they wera satisfied with the maximum prices paid under the grading scheme, which ran up to 75s per live cwt, or approximately 80 per cent, more than the farmer obtained in pre-war times. The present meat shortage must not be misinterpreted. The meat consumption must be reduced, but there was no prospect of a meat famine, such as at present afflicted Germany and many of the neutral countries* of Europe. The consumption last year was over 21b per head a week; the. German ration was Jib a head. There was ample room, therefore, for economy in the consumption of meat without inj flictuig undue hardships on any member of the population if the reduction was evenly spread throughout the country, and this he was endeavoring to secure. A census of cattle taken by the Board of Agriculture and the Ministry of Pood in December showed that the number of cattle in the country wis only about 5 per cent less thas the number in June. It had been said that the shortage of milk was due to the killing of dairy cows,, but it was a curious thing that the num. ber of dairy cattle in Great Britain in the 'last six months actually showed an increase, though a small one. But though the head of cattle was not greatly reduced, the cattle carried far less meal' because- of the shortage of feeding stuffs..

REGULATION OF PRICES. "I have repeatedly stated in: public," Lord Ehondda said, "that I conceive it to be my primary dnty to protect the interests of the consumer, and especially the poorer-class consumer, whatever obstacles or difficulties may stand in tbffi way. I have therefore striven to prevent prices from rising, and to lower them when that was possible. But I have; always recognised tbat when, a certain figure is reached the consumer's interests are the same. We must see that this country produces every ton of food! that it can produce, and for this purpose it has been my policy to base prices oft tho cost of production, plus a fair rate of profit. Every producer is entitled 1 to a fair remuneration for his labor. I have tried to be just without being over--generous, and that is all that anybody is entitled to. expect in war time.

SUPPORT FOR FRANCE AND ITALY. "In regard to bread, while I regard the future with anxiety, there is no immediate need for alarm. Had it not been for the drain on our resources in consequence of the failure of the cereal harvest in France and Italy, our position in regard to wheat at the end of last year would have been very satisfactory. Unfortnnateley, we have had to support France and Italy and we have bad to make certain inroads on our supplies of wheat. We have to look to tho future, and, in view of that, we bava had to raise the percentage of., milling to -00. That means that the bread you will get will be darker, but it will be, palatable and good for the health of the • normal man and woman. I want to warn you as to a possible restriction of cereals for feeding animals other than dairy cattle and working horses. It is also possible we may have to prohibit the use of wheat except as a diluent in cakes, pastry, and fancy biscuits. If vi> do this, we sball have to prohibit the use of pastry in private houses. The public must realise we are at war, and you cannot expect to live under tho same conditions in a bcleagured city as you do in peace time "