THE FOOD SHORTAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 16

THE FOOD SHORTAGE.

The Observer states that the War Cabinet has decided that food imports shall now have priority over all other war demands in allocating shipping. , . The experiment of rationing London s 10,€00,000 inhabitants, which has just been started, is being anxiously p waited. There are long queues\ securing the necessary tickets. There were also enormous queues throughout the day at the butchers' and grocers' shops endeavouring to increase their stocks before the rationing becomes effective. The probJem of soldiers on leave has been satisfactorily solved by a special meat ration of Boz daily. It was found impossible to allow heavy workers a bigger ration without unduly restricting the whole population, but an additional allowance to heavy workers is regarded as the first necessity when supplies increase. Details of the convention concluded between Argentina and the Allied Governments show that the latter have purchased surplus wheat and other cereals to the extent of 2,500,000 tons, to be exported by November 1 next. The minimum price for wheat is per hundred kilos (approximately 2001 b). Argentina will open a credit of 100,000,000d0l each for the British and French Governments for the above purpose. A comprehensive plan by the Canadian Government to increase the grain and live stock in Western Canada includes the utilising of the Indian reserves for agriculture and the employment of Indian labour. A conference of Provincial Premiers with the Dominion Government resolved upon a greatly increased production in 1018—to plant every available acre with wheat, open new vacant areas, and to place 25,000 bovs and returned soldiers upon the land. The Government is mobilising women for agriculture, also 25,000 schoolboys for work on farms. POSITION IN MIDDLE EUROPE. The United States Government has published the official report of an exhaustive examination of the Centra.! Powers' food conditions. It shows that Turkey is actually starving, while Germany " and Austria are suffering horrible privations. Better conditions exist in Bulgaria and Hungary. The Austro-Germnns are undergoing permanent physical deterioration, because of the lack of food. The death rate is increasing alarmingly. Youths and labourers are only half-nourished. Germany's transportation facilities have broken down, with the result thai, hunger' is daily spreading. The authorities are not yet able to relieve the situation.