Norwich bulletin., 1917-12-05
FACTS AND COMMENT

The worst is over ir the sugar sit uation, or soon should he. Already the first of the sugar cano is being ground in Cuba, tEe Ohio refirers are receiv- ing 1es909 tons daily from the middle west sugar-beet growers. and yet oth- CT supplies are on the way from Ha waii and our own western states. Meantime large quantities of sugar owned bs neutral governments and Russia but not yet shipped out of the United states government and have helped the situation materially ai- ready.
 Before the war England was using & half pounds per capita per year, while our own people were consuming abount ninety pounds. At present Eng land uses but twenty six pounds, while France allots but eighteen pounds to each citizen for the year, and Italy gets along on a still smaller portion. Tie utmost that Mr. Hoover urged our people to to was to reduce their con sumption by something less than a 1 third.
 As the cost of flour has increased, | the bakers have tried various means | to make both ends meet. reducing the l size of the loaf. increasing the price l and cheapening the ingredients, until I nobody knows what he is buying. To obviate this difficulty and at the same time to conserve food supplies, the Food Administration has ruled that be- l shall produce Ioaves of only stand ard sizes, shall conform to an official recipe and shall make no fancy breads | nhe recipe ordered contains consider ably less sugar and shortening than is ordinarily used. Such 1oaves. it is cal | culated, should sell for seven cents a pound at the bakery door. Retailers will of course receive something more ! according to their methods of doing I busirsoss. As forty per cent. of all the 1 bread eaten in America is bakery made fenornaous savings in food supplies will
 result. Bakers are forbidden to de- stroy stale loaves and to take back | unsold bread from retailers. This last prohibition alone will save 6eo,Ooo bar
 rels of flour yearly.
 l The scarcity of clothing in Germany l is felt only less than the lack of prop CT food. As early 1916 an imperial clothing office was opened all stocks were inventoried and clothing tickets were issued soon after. The mum Der of garments that might be pur- ! chased was strictly limited by law I and only a minimum of goods might be bought for alteration or repair o1 clothes already in possession. This year matters have become still worse day suit, one better shit one over | coat, and a very limited supply oi | socks, handkerchiess and underwear. A woman may only possess two every I day dresses one better dress. one cloak, four changes or underwear and four pair of stockings.
 l There is in Berlin central office
 for old clothes, that renovates and sells
 | anew all goods that car he procured
 Buyers attend in throngs. All cloth
 es are divided, with true German thorouehness, into live classes: 1
 New. or little worn. 2. Not very mucf
 | worn. 3. Much worn, but good. 4
 Much worn and torn. j. Worn out, fl
 only for workmen. From these good
 are made up the so-ca11ed "ifnperia
 suits" for returning soldiers and need,
 cities throughout the empire are a1s'
 supplied. Only one mourning dress il
 allowed fin case Of bereavement, and i
 is being generally urged to give up tn
 custom of burying tfis dead in thei
 best ciothas. as all garments are need
 nt for the living.
 | Shoes are even scarcer than clothes
 IT Munich the public officials hay,
 long been to their offices sockless ant
 s2nd.a' ed. Thnusa nds of wooden shoe
 have been ordered for the poor,i ant
 the Prussian minister of education ha
 \ urged children to go to school in tn S
 or oven barefoot, SD as te Save leathe
 shoes for winter. Owing to the scarci
 " Of this material. eleven hundred 0 t4ermany's 1,45o shoe factories ar
 shut down.