SHORTAGE OF FOOD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 62, 24 December 1935, Page 5

SHORTAGE OF FOOD.

GERMAN CONDITIONS WORSE. FARMERS RESIST COMPULSION. (United Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 22. The Berlin correspondent of “The Times” says the secret police have warned farmers throughout Germany that on General. Goering’s instructions they will ruthlessly proceed' against “food saboteurs.” The campaign aimed to prevent farmers who are discontented with the fixed milk prices from withholding supplies in order to make butter, which they sell privately at very high prices, defeating the elaborate marketing regulations introduced 1 to distribute all available. fats fairly, especially to feed the cities. This so-called ‘‘black” marketing persists with other foods in which there is a shortage, in spite of daily arrests and the imprisonment of profiteers. Probably the farmers’- resistance to compulsory marketing explains the poor Christmas food outlook. Although imports of food are increasing, eggs especially are short, only two to four ounces of butter can be purchased at a time, lard has almost disappeared, bacon is sold four ounces at a time, and ham and pork are difficult to get. In other meats thei-e is no shortage, hut prices are too high for the workers, as butchers refuse to sell the cheaper kinds of minced meats and sausages at fixed prices. The Jewish firm of Simson and Company, manufacturers or rifles, saddles, perambulators, and'machine parts has been forced to repay alleged profits by the transfer of the. works to the State, accompanied by the payment of several million marks. The new Nazi controllers have distributed thousands of perambulators to needy families. The Eeiehsbauk has; sacrificed 6,000,000 marks of its gold reserves for food imports, hut many thousands aro already making bread and potatoes their staple diet, substituting jam, which is cheap and plentiful, for butter. If they have insufficient money to buy food it is because rearmament and capital expenditure to create work are swallowing too big a share ol the national income.

AN AIR OF FESTIVITY. EXCURSIONS TO THE SAAR. i • •' •' (Received This D'ay, 11 a.m.) BERLIN, December 23. Despite the shortage of food, Germany is doing her utmost to spend a happy Christmas. The railway, stations have Christmas trees and decorated coloured lights on every platform. Special excursion trains are running to the Saar to celebrate the anniversary of the return of the territory to Germany. .