The Dolores star., 1917-11-30
GREAT BRITAIN FIXES PRICES OF FOOD

the register and prevented from fur
ther trading. The various orders dx-
ing or amending the maximum pfices
Of meat milk. potatoes. bread. etc. are
communicated to the local committees.
and the trades and public are Informed
through the daily and trades press. A
star Of inspectors Is kept at headquar-
tiers. and q number Of sentences have
been imposed BY magistrates through
out the country for confirmation OF
the regulations. The general penalty
Is nne not exceeding 500. or q term
Of six months imprisonment. with or
without hard labor. or both This pun
ishment may be inflicted for every sew
eral oHense. I purpose to make the
penalties more severe.
~while the prices OF practically all
essential foods are now under control.
no compulsory ratio0ins Ii imposed on
the general public. although all public
eating places are rationed as to the
amount Of meat. nour. bread and sugar
which may be used In every week on
the basis Of an average for each meal.
After December 80 only half q pound
Of sugar per capita will be permitted
This will be obtainable through a sys-
tenn Of each consuming householder or
consumer registering with a specified
retailer and securing from the local
food committee a card emitting his
household or himself to the ration. The
retailer will keep a record of his deliv-
cries to insure his not supplying any
,uto In
than the proper allowance. Arrange
ments for the issue Of these cards are
In progress. and they will form the
groundwork should 1t become neces-
sary later ON to ration other food
stuffs.
Restrictions In Manufacturing.
"There are many restrictions in man.
ufacturing. Flour made from wheat
must be straight-run -four. milled to 81
per cent extraction. and 1t Is compui-
sorry to mix In 20 per cent Of flour from
other cereals and pulse. and permissi-
BILE to mix in up to so per cent. while
no bread may be sold unless II hours
old. Following on restrictions Of so
per cent and 40 per cent, manufacture
ers are now restricted to the use Of
only IS per cent of the amount of
sugar they used In 1915. Speaking
generally. the use Of foodstuffs for in
dustrial purposes and for the feeding
Of animals has been either restricted
or prohibited. Waste Of bread Is q
criminal offense.
Appeals for economy In consump-
ton have been made, and new cam
paign is being organized to this end.
The maximum price Of the Quartern
loaf has been reduced to ninepence for
cash over the counter. 1t was found
possible to do this by subsidizing flour.
I find 1t necessary to control practical
ly all essential commodities. The dan
ger that in reducing prices we may
restrict supplies and increase consump-
ton is obvious, but think 1t can be
largely overcome. .s..
1T has been suggested that our re-
cent fixing Of meat prices will lead to
excessive slaughtering. II it does. we
are In position to control the trans
port Of meat, and we are taking steps
to license the slaughter house. A con-
dition Of the license will be that 40
more than certain number Of cattle
are slaughtered per week. We also
propose to control the sales through
the auctions, and we can limit the
quantity there. In the course of q
month or two we hope to be able to
determine approximately what guam
tity of meat ought to go to each indus
trial area and to limit the quantity II
necessary. Maximum wholesale meat
prices for the whole kingdom have
been fixed independently Of the cost Of
transport, but we hope to meet the
danger that producing areas, because
Of this, might get more than their fair
share Of supplies by fixing q fiat rail.
way rate.