Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1919. THE FOOD SUPPLIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1706, 22 December 1919, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1919. THE FOOD SUPPLIES.

The statement made by Mr C A. McCurdy, of tfiV British Food Ministry, following so closely upon, Mr Hoover's pronouncement on the European food situation, emphasises the gravity of the position in the Old World, where thousands of men, women and children are perishing of starvation daily.' Mr McCurdy's statement that there will be a serious shortage of essential foodstuffs in 1920, and that the coming year will be the most critical since the ! start of the war as regards butter and cheese, conveys a definite warning to both the people of Great Britain and their kinsmen overseas. There is, Mr McCurdy further states, "no prospect of the world's supply of sugar balancing the demand," and while there is at present "a surplus of meat in Britain," there will bo a world shortage in 1920. Control of all these essential foodstuffs, Mr McCurdy says, is imperative, and Mr C. H. Roberts (the Minister of Food) confirms that statement, foreshadowing '-some form of supervision of food supplies for at least three years." Whether that is to be taken as moaning that the Imperial Supplies Department will continue to act as intermediary between the overseas producer and tiie British consumer, purchasing the supplies from the former, as it has been doing since 1915, remains to bo seen. The probabilities aro that the British Government will elect to renew the contracts it now has running, although, in doing so, it will necessarily have to better the prices that it has been paying. The European situation is such that, as Mr Hoover predicted the other day, nothing but chaos can bo expected in Central Europe, unless arrangements are made for feeding the neoplo in these hunger-driven States. Not the least lamentable result of the war has been the impoverishment of the peoples of Europe, as a result of so man}' millions of workers being removed from the primary and secondary industries for the grim business of the war itself. Not only has production seriously diminished in the agricultural districts, but the flocks and -herds, and live stock generally, have been so greatly reduced that in many districts Hot a hoof of stock remains. In" Austria, Germany, Hungary, and in many of the Russian States the flocks, herds and dairy cattle, etc., require building anew, before any real attempt can be mado by the countries concerned, to provide for the wants of their respective peoples. So much lias been sacrificed at the shrine of the German War God, and so little remains, that the task of reconstituting Europe, which must be undertaken by Britain and her Allies, if the wave of Bolshevism which threatens to overwhelm the whole of Europe, •is to bo stayed, is such that it will severely tax all their powers and resources to maintain the necessary supplies for their own peoples. We, in New Zealand, can hardly escape our share of the responsibility thus thrust upon the Entente, under whose banners our fathers, sons and brothers fought in defence of our liberties. Every ounce of surplus produce that wo can possibly export is needed in Europe. THE ONLY WAY TO HELP. !

Mr Hoovor, speaking of the United States, said the other day that America must continue to send all her available supplies to Europe, and must contrive means to establish credits for the countries that needed them. The exchange rates are so adverse' that unless relief can be obtained, the present indebtedness of the European peoples will bo strained to breaking point, and to such an extent even as to produce national bankruptcy. Austria's position wo know is desperate, but here in New Zealand wo can only dimly guess at the terrible strait* to which Iter; people and I lie peoples of South'fiajJtoW Europe.•.-navo . bevu. reduced, O ..';? <• •' '■' •" '■•■'•' '" ■*'■•- ' " ' •■'•"'■ | TurtftltMM . >

The German position, too, is bad, and that of Russia seems even worse. New Zealand producers can best help to alleviate the situation by sending as much wool, meat, butter, cheese and other produce as can possibly bo spared to Great Britain, which we know has been, and is doing, her best to meet the requirements of Central Europe. During the war it was to Britain the Allies looked, not merely for the sinews of war—the guns, munitions and supplies they were unable to produce themselves—but for tho foodstuffs.and moneys they required to carry on with. She thus acted as either creditor! or almoner to'all her Allies, with the one exception of tho United States, and, to-day, she is shouldering a big burden of debt on behalf of the smaller States that joined in with her, in helping to defeat the enemy's designs. It is to Britain and the United- States that those countries and the countries of Central Europe aro (looking for tho relief they need so badly in the shape of practically all tho essentials' of civilised life. New Zealand producers need not bo under any apprehension in regard to a possiblo slump in the value of food products, or of wool, hides, etc. If we could increase production tenfold, wo could still market everything at advantageous prices. But, manifestly, steps will have to bo taken—and such steps can proceed from tho New Zealand Government only—to conserve -sufficient supplies to meet the requirements of our own people. With increased shipping facilities, and higher prices overseas, there will be the obvious temptation to place the export market first, and the local market last. There is, of course, no present danger of a •shortage in any of the essential foodstuffs, although our sugar supplies are scantier than they have been during tho war. But tho Government will need to so act as to conservesupplies in certain directions, and it will require to import both wheat and sugar to meet the Dominion requirements in 1920. It might be as well, in the case of the latter, to purchaso raw sn<rar. in Java and hand it over to the Colonial Sugar Company to refine and distribute ,as tho- Commonwealth Government has done, the Government purchasing from the planters at a given price and arranging for its refining and distribution at fixed rates throughout Australia. It becomes the duty of our Government to further urge upon our farmers and producers generally increased production. The crisis we are facing demands the best that is in each and all of us, tfio abandonment of all "go slow," methods, and a general speeding up of production. It is, therefore, to bo greatly regretted that tho coal miners are still maintaining their "go slow" tactics.