New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-21
p.r;s Meat Price
Jumps on Eve of
Meatiess Days
s,,,nlies Diminish Half on
Prospect of No Sales To-
day and Tomorrow
injuries by Deputies
y;oletti, Persistent Critic,
Now To Be Questioned on
Causes Of Food Crisis
10, Carl, % The Tnburel

fsy Cable - The Tnbunel
Paris. May eO.-Mest prices jumped
..,,,,y here to-day and the incoming
-,,l;.s diminished by one-hslf before
a. prospect Of two meatless days a
-.,k beginning tomorrow, according
government decree.
hi. Reorganization is only part Of
4. ,,ouomic crisis in France, and dis
-...ssetion with conditions is so keen
~, eleven Deputies have announced
"a, intention Of interpellating the
.,v,nment on the subject when the
parliamentary session is resumed
-vsdsy. NJ. Viollette. Minister of Re-
,sillment, and himself a persistent
ritz Of former ministers, is held by
ANY 20 have precipitated the present
,.,Os. and his appearance before the
gambler will not be a comfortable one.
Yeatless days were decreed TO con-
v-e the supply and lower the price.
TINS far there has been no such re-
slt-at least, not as to price. Stock
,,i.ers. worrying over a reduced de-
-snS and a consequent break IN price,
g well as over the risk and possible
nss involved by the closing OF the
daughter houses. cut their shipments
no Paris by half. Prices, therefore,
,sarly doubled
Wholesalers Cease 10 Sell
Wholesalers ceased to sell at noon
Yesterday. Retail shops will be closed
tomorrow and Tuesday. And another
anxiety has developed over the posi-
blty Of decreased fish supply. Fresh
ssh has recently been abundant in the
central markets.
Market experts are optimistic. how
ever. They say that adjustment VIII
ecre after the first week, and the meat
shortage will hardly be repeated. But
neither the people nor the Chamber Of
Deputies is satisfied.
N. Viollette is in trouble for his
continual reversals Of himself. When
he was simple member of the Cham
ber he was one of those who most
iuriously criticised the vacillation of
the Cabinet. He was at that time
chiefly q critic of the Ministry of War
and the High Command, the latter
more than the Ministry. He was
among the half dozen Of Joffre's most
bitter and outspoken enemies, and
after Jotfre was replaced in the High
Command By Nivelle. VI. Viollette be-
came a critic and enemy of the BRAND
administration in general, finally crit
icising himself into a place in the Ri
bot government.
Il is now extremely interesting 10
see him exhibiting in his own person
every variety of vacillation of which
ss las accused all the other members
Of the governments of the last two
and half years. Take the matter of
neat only. II is patent that meat is
scarce and becoming scarcer in France.
That is proposition that demon
sirates itself every day.
Herds of France Depleted
The supply of frozen meat from
abroad has practically ceased on &C
count OF the German submarine cam
paign, while the herds Of France are
80 much depleted that they are threat
ened with extinction in a very short
time
NJ. Viollette recognizes this situation
and has made several long and forcible
statements putting II plainly before
the public In the meantime, in Nor
handle. one Of the great cattle raising
districts of France, fodder has become
20 scarce that the price has gone up
from 20 francs 1000 pounds to 225
lanes a 900 pounds. But instead of
leaving what fodder there is in Nor
handle and sending more in TO feed
the cattle, the fodder there is requi-
STONED and the catye are dying from
starvation by the hundreds each week,
while in other districts where there
are fewer cattle and fodder is less
han half the price IL is left untouched
oy the government.
Meat cards are declared necessary
,! NJ. Violette, and he says they will
Be distributed as soon as the details
q the plan can be worked out. Some
SELECTIONS are made. There is no
popular uprising. On the contrary,
he people prepare 20 accept the neces-
nry evil, but there are some objec-
hons. So VI. Niolette decides instead
q meat cards TO have two meatless
Gays week. More objections. A new
dseision-one meatless day week for
month and then two meatless days a
week Again there are objections.
Butchers Cause Confusion
The Paris butchers do not want 10
close their shops either one or two
Gays week. The butchers from the
province. say that there will be no
herds left in France next year unless
aere are three meatless days a week
81. NJ. Niollette has his Office in Paris
aad heeds the Paris butchers, with the
result that there is still another de-
cree.
There is 70 be meat every day, but
ne butchers must close their shops
~ 1880 in the afternoon. except Sun
,sys and fete days. Thus, private
families must purchase their entire
applies in the mornings and have
neat as many times day as they
want II, but the restaurants cannot
tNe meat In the evenings. The
eatehers say that the meat saving
VII be practically nothing, and NJ.
toilette, therefore, accompanies the
.eefee with vague threat OF dire
sn.hgs TO happen some time IN the
,,s'are, n the butchers are right.
'hslly, the decision for two meatless
Jays is made.
"a the matter Of coal-there is none.
zen government munitions works arc
s0s,ng down for lack of coal. Hence
- Nollette is making his plans for
va cards, in order 20 distribute