BRITISH FOOD CRISIS.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14409, 10 May 1917, Page 1

BRITISH FOOD CRISIS.

SPEECH BY LORD DEVONPORT,

SHARP LESSON TO EXPLOITERS,

A SATISFACTORY OUTLOOK.

AMPLE MEAT SUPPLIES.

(Australian and Nt-Z. Cable Association)

(Received May 9, 7 p.m.) , London, May 9,

In the House of Lords, Lord Devonport stated that exploitation by unpatriotic speculators had caused a rise of food.prices, but it would soon be difficult to do so. He instanced a cargo of beans which though unlikely to arrive for some weeks had been sold and resold repeatedly in Mincing Lane, until the price neared £90 a ton. He told the speculators that this was intolerable, and bought the cargo at the original contract price.

Lord Devonport defended the department against charges of confusion and weakness^ He -afe'^y^' safeguarded the interests, of 'the .poor. If the consumption of breadstuff a \t as reduced, ac the Government urged, and submarining did not exceed reasonable,-limits, there was a likelihood that "we would reach the harvest with a fairly satisfactory balance. It might be necessary to reduce the Importation of meat in favour of more urgent commodities. Our herds were probably larger than ever, and there was little prospect of a meat shortage ■'-.> if the coifeuniption were reasonable. He had decided to abolish meatless days owing to the increased consumption of substitutes.

Regarding compulsory rationing,, Lord Devonport merely said; that a scheme had been prepared.

IMMEDIATE BREAD RATIONING

URGED.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

London, May 8

The Bewspapßjrs insist upon immediate rationing as regards breadstuffs, particularly as the Food Controller states -that stocks of maize, oatmeal, barley,- rice and; flour are unobtainable in., sufficient quantities, to be'- used as wheat substitutes, and therefore must be used sparingly.