The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-29
GREAT BRITAIN FIXES PRICES OF FOOD

the register and prevented from rur-
ther trading. The various orders f1x-
Ing or amending the maximum prices
of meat, milk. potatoes. bread. ETC.. are
communicated to the local committees,
and the trades and public are informed
through the daily and trndes press.
staff Of inspectors Is kept at headquar-
tiers, and number Of sentences have
been imposed by magistrates through
out tbs country for cOntravention of
the regulations. The general penalty
is fine not exceeding 500. or term
of six months Imprisonment, with or
without hard labor, or both. This pun
ishment may be inflicted for every sew
eral offense. l purpose to make the
penalties more severe.
"While the prices Of practically nil
essential foods are now under control.
no compulsory rationfng is imposed on
the general public. although all public
eating places are rntioned MS to the
amount of meat, flour. bread and sugar
which may be used in every week on
the basis of an average for each meal.
After December 80 only half pound
of sugar per capita will be permitted.
This will be obtainable through a sys-
tenn of each consuming householder or
consumer registering with n specified
retailer, and securing from the local
food committee 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
one customer In one week with more
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 flour, milled to 81
per cent extraction, and 1t is compul-
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 IL hours
old. Following on restrictions of SO
per cent and 40 per cent, manufacture
ers are now restricted to the use of
only % per cent of the amount of
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
criminal Offense.
appeals for economy In consurnp-
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 subsidlzing flour.
I find 1t accessory 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 I think It can be
largely overcome.
ut has been suggested that our re-
cent fixing Of meat prices will lead to
excessive slaughtering. II 1t does, we
are In a 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 20
more than a 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
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 fat rail-
way rate.