FOOD SUPPLIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1943, Page 3

FOOD SUPPLIES

MEASURES OF CONTROL IN BENGAL. ADOPTION OF COMPROMISE • POLICY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 11. The Bengal Government has adopted a compromise between Government and private trading for the distribution of the new rice crop which will form the bulk of food for 60,000,000 people in Bengal for the next 12 months, reports the Calcutta correspondent of “The Times.” The Government assumes responsibility for supplementing supplies in deficit areas. Merchants will be appointed commission agents to buy for the Government in surplus areas. Only movements of grain across district boundaries on Government account will be permissible. The movements of rice within each district will be left to private merchants. The Government will appoint more staff as a precaution against speculative hoarding. The Calcutta industrial area is the largest deficit district, the emptying of the stocks of neighbouring villages having caused 100,000 people to trek to the city searching for food. With Calcutta’s needs met and a good harvest expected there should be an abundance of grain in the coming year. GRANT FROM EIRE. FOR RELIEF OF DISTRESS. DUBLIN, November 11. The Eire Parliament has unanimously voted £200,000 for the Irish Red Cross for relief of distress arising from the war and t famine in Europe and India. Half of this sum will be sent to India immediately.