BREAD RATIONING

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 April 1946, Page 3

BREAD RATIONING

BRITAIN AT PRESENT OPPOSED

OTHER ECONOMY MEASURES

LONDON, April 21.

Unless, there are most compelling reasons the British Government will not impose bread rationing, believing that this would be a very unfair burden to place on the people, says the Efaily Mail. The Daily Telegraph says: “Among emergency measures to reduce wheat consumption, but tb avoid rationing, the Government is believed to have agreed on at least lour possible courses. These are: —

“(1) A further increase in the rate of wheat extraction, which was recently raised to 85 per cent. “(2) The introduction of a standard loaf.

“(3) A reduction in the manufacture of biscuits, buns, and cakes. “(4) A reduction of the amount of barley allocated for beer. “The final decision on how economies are to be effected without rationing will be made when Mr. Attlee returns to Downing Street from CheQuers.” The Daily Mail in a leading article declared that no nation in the world had endured so low and so •mono.tonuos a standard of diet for so Jong as Britain. The country’s stocks of wheat and flour were at a dangerously low level. Mr. Herbert Hoover claimed that they Tvere at present about 1,000,000 tons and could be reduced by half, but it would be highly imprudent to cut stocks further unless replacements were on the way.

An earlier message from Washington stated that to boost supplies of wheat to Europe, the United States Government has ordered a 25 per cent, cut in millers’ and the domestic distribution of wheat, and also a reduction of 25 per cent, in the flour used by food manufacturers. A bonus of 30 cents a bushel is being offered to farmers holding wheat and corn to stimulate its immediate sale. Canada has also announced reductions in grain consumption. They are 10 per cent, for domestic use..jand 50 per cent, for distillers.