BRITAIN’S FOOD SUPPLY

Patea Mail, 9 March 1936, Page 4

BRITAIN’S FOOD SUPPLY

PROBLEM IX DEFEXCE. CONTROL OF IMPORTS. The ‘ Bim.-Hcnild ’ correspondent says, Flint Britain’s food is among the outstanding problems related to the 'defence programme. Tlio lasi war’s unforgettable lesson that Britain could only feed herself for six weeks in the event of a blockade resulted in comprehensive Government investigations into the question of how to prepare for a recurrence of such an eventuality. The ‘ UunsHorald ’ understands that the Government discussion of the food proposals is in ,connection 'with Mr Baldwin’s statement in the House of Commons on- March 3, that the .Committee of Imperial Defence was considering means of increasing the pro-_ dilution of ■home-grown .foodstuffs. It is believed that proposals include the control of imports of overseas foodstuffs by either quotas -or earmarked tariffs, propaganda for -cultivation, more allotments and small holdings, and oven gardens, inducements to the unemployed to join land workers, the number of whom lias dropped by 1.3,000 in five, years, Government loans to enable an increase in holdings and improve livestock, the construction o. huge granaries, and cold storage depots for reserves of corn, doin', and meal, and the erection of factories in conjunction with marketing boards for the manufacture of choose, condensed milk, and butter.