SUCCESS OF RATIONING

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 140, 13 June 1918, Page 9

SUCCESS OF RATIONING

A CONFIDENT PUBLIC.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESrONDBNT.)

LONDON, 30th April.

Nobody is any fatter since rationing came into force, but I think fully forty million people in the British Isles are infinitely more contented and less harassed by the anxiety of getting food. It is quite clear now that what looked like a shortage a few months ago was .the logical outcome of anxiety, which caused people to buy what they could when they could, for fear the chance would not come again. That particular .feeling has entirely disappeared', and confidence is likely to increase rather .than diminish. Meanwhile there are demands that cheese and one or two other articles should be brought under the .rule.

RATION BOOKS.

Food rationing on a national ba«is is .to begin on Hfch July, when ration .books will take the place of the present loose cai-ds. It is proposed that the ration books shall be issued through the local food control committees during Jnne and July. The individual system of registration -will be maintained, and the books will contain sheets of coupons •with counterfoils for the rationing of at least sugar, butter, margarine, lard, and meat. There "will be a different coloured ticket for each article rationed —probably yellow for sugar, blue for butter or margarine, and red for meat— and the tickets will be printed on paper specially engraved so as to minimise the .risk of forgery. ' The books are to have ■a currency of sixteen -weeks.

TEA AND LxVBD.

The rationing of tea and lard is anticipated at an early date. In the meantime an order has been issued forbidding any but licensed persons to manufacture for human consump.tion any mixture or compounds of any of the oils or fats scheduled, such as margarine' compound la,vd, compound dripping, or beef suets. The order also provides for the requisition of the output of factories engaged in the manufacture of oil and fat mixtures for compounds. The order applies only to mixtures and compounds for human food. At present the registration, if not the actual rationing-, of tea is being considered. As a matter of fact, about 17,000,000 people are already rationed for tea under various local schemesj while 1,500,000 are rationed for lard. .

EXTRA MEAT FOR CHILDREN.

During the lost week or two the order allowing -children of more than six years a full adult ration of meat has come into force. At first people had to pay 3s 7<d for certificates of birth to ■■prove their case, but this has been reauced to Gd.

During the forthcoming months we are only to be allowed to use two of our four meat coupons for butchers' meat, the idea being to encourage the use of bacon whil© Amfcrican supplies are coining to. hand so freely, and so conserve our own cattle for a later .stajje. The Ministry state that ample ■supplies of bacon are being issued to the ttaia, and importers and wholesalers can in the meanwhile distribute freely in accordances with demands upon them. Retailers, however, must not sell to consumers, except on production of meat cards.

STATE CONTROL OF MILK.

The Times says that among the points raised before the committee of the Ministry of Food which •is considering the question of the control of milk, is that of a possible State cpntrol of the supply', both now and after the war. The- recommendations of the committee on the matter may be exr>ected in a short time.