The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-15 00:00:00

THE WAP4.

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

THE FOOD QUESTION.

The most important question relating to the defence of
Paris is the supply of food. The city cannot be bom-
barded with very great effect ; it cannot he taken by
assault, except by a most wearisome and bloody siege
but it may be starved out. Everything depends upon the
length of time which the food stores can be made to last,
and on this all important point divers opinions
exist. We have already given several estimates.
It may be interesting to quote the view
of the Daily News Paris correspondent. It is
moderate and much in accordance with the calculation
given by our own informant. He says ; The Government
of National Defence have very judiciously commenced to
limit the daily supply. of meat to something like 5i
ounces per head for every man, woman, and child of the
population, being just one-third less than the
average daily consumption ; 7i ounces having been
the daily rate during the year 1868. At the
present moment, however, in spite of the large num-
ber of persons absent from Paris, the population, owing to
the influx of Gardes Mobiles from the provinces, and
more especially of the many thousand people from the
environs for several miles around, who sought refuge in
Paris at the approach of the Prussians, must be in excess
of the one million eight hundred thousand souls of
which it ordinarily consists, so that in all pro-
bability the reduction in the supply of butcher's
meat is greater than at first sight it appears
to be. A week ago there were within the walls
of Paris 24,600 oxen and 150,000 sheep, and if one deducts
from these the 500 oxen and the 4,000 sheep which are
daily allowed for the provisioning of the inhabitants,
there will remain at this date 21,100 oxen and 122,000
sheep, which, according to the present rate of consump-
tion, constitutes about five weeks' supply, and could be
made to serve for seven weeks if a further reduction
of the daily allowance should be promptly made by the
authorities. When there are no more oxen, sheep, and
pigs, we shall have to fall back upon horseflesh, and de-
pend for animal food upon the 100,000 or so cab, omnibus;
and other horses which Paris could well spare in such
an emergency as this. Since their supply of meat has
been curtailed, the butcher's shops only open twice,
or at most three times a week, a certain number
opening in turn each day in every arrondissement.
The crowd surrounding them is so great that a " queue "
has to be formed, and to preserve order National Guards
are posted inside and outside the shops, which have the
iron railings in front of them closed, except when a limited
number of persons are being admitted. Many people
wait outside for hours, and then have to go away
empty-handed. The price of meat is fixed by a commission,
and is lower than at ordinary times, being no more than
from 9d. to 15d. per lb. The same course is pursued
with regard to bread, the best quality of which is only 2id
per lb.; owing, however, to a species of panic which
ensued consequent upon the restricted supply of fresh
meat, salted and preserved provisions have attained
to exorbitant prices. Australian mutton, beef, and veal,
for instance, are quadruple their ordinary rates;
hams, until they were all bought up, realised 3f.
per lb. ; salted cod fetches about is. per lb., and dried
herrings are sd. each. Gruyere cheese is 2f. the pound,
and common English or American as much as 2s. Fowls
and ducks range from 7f. to 10f. each, turkeys fetch 25f.,
rabbits 6f. and 7f., and pigeons 2if. each. Salt butter is
occasionally met with in the shops at 5 francs the
lb. ; all the fresh butter, which, by the way,
eventually commanded 10 francs the lb., is, of
course, consumed by this time. Veal fat, boiled down,
is sold at two francs the lb. for culinary purposes. Eggs
are 2d. and 3d. each. Fruit, of which there appears to be
a considerable stock, has not risen in price, but green
vegetables are sold at exorbitant rates—common cabbages
being half a franc, and large cauliflowers a franc and a
half each.