FOOD SHORTAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 162, 11 July 1934, Page 7

FOOD SHORTAGE.

DICTATOR APPOINTED. LOXDOX, July 10. Tlie Berlin correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" states that owing to the German Government's anxiety about the food, situation Hcrr Schmidt, Minister of Economics, has appointed a food dictator with full powers to put his orders into effect without the Cabinet's sanction. Unless they are extended these extraordinary powers* will expire on September 1. It is expected that ration tickets for food and textiles will be introduced before then. The most serious factor in the present situation is the lack of foreign exchange reserves required, even for bread. With a bad harvest in prospect imports must be increased if the money can be found to pay for them.

At present there is no shortage of meat, but owing to the drought there is a serious lack of fodder, in consequence of which the farmers in some districts will have to kill off their cattle. There will be a glut of meat at first, but by the winter there will be too little. The slaughtering of cattle also will affect tho supplies of butter, of which the price already has risen enormously.