Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-16
ENGLAND TURNS
MINISTRY OF FOOD
New Cabinet Member Now
One of Most Important
Advisers

London, May 16. Not long ago
there slipped unobtrusively into the
British cabinet an untried ministry
of food. Britain. reading her horn
ing newspaper, noted the fact, raised
her eyebrows and then became en-
crossed in other things. She was not
troubling herself about ministeries OF
food when there was q big war on
hand.
To-day the ministry of food ranks
in importance with the admiralty,
the war department and the minis
try of munitions in the conduct of
the war. Britain now anXiously
reads the doings and sayings of the
ministry of food along with the news
of the army and of the navy for she
has come to the realization that the
stocks of her food are low, the sub
marine menace to her shipping Is
very real and that the question OF
the duration of the world conflict
and possibly even the outcome are
interlocked with the food problem
The ministry. headed by Lord De-
vonport, has grown until its activi-
ties are felt in every corner of the
British Isles.
Resentment at First
When Lord Devonport first began
to dictate to hotel. restaurant and
boarding housekeepers as to what
they must eliminate from theiI
menus and to suggest the same cur
tailment in the private homes. there
was considerable perturbation. The
people didn't quite understand the
necessity of such drastic action. They
understand it now, and as 81 whole
have accepted the situation in 8
true spartan spirit. The habitue ol
the restaurant sits down with 6
smile to q fare that, compared witt
pre-War days, is decidedly frugal
and feels no little pride in the fac
that he is doing his Bit by livint
up to the rules.
Thus far Lord Devonport's edict!
have been most noticed in the clubs
and public eating places. Not onl,
has the food controller told the res
| taurant man when he may and ma!
not serve meat and potatoes, but HI
has specified the quantity of meat
bread, sugar and flour to which eacl
person is entitled at the various
reals. Public eating places are al
| lowed each week a sufficient quantit.
of these foodstuffs to give the pat
ron fthe average, the following:
Meat Curtailment
| Two ounces Oh meat lOE DTSdh
fast, five ounces for luncheon, th'
same amount for dinner and non,
! for tea. The weight of the meat Il
the uncooked weight, Includini
such bone as is usually delivered b,
the butcher. Two ounces of poultr,
and game are reckoned as one ounce
of meat.
Two ounces of bread are allowed
for each meal including the after
noon tea. Only two -sevenths of al
ounce of sugar may be had for eacl
of the four meals, and -four is linn
tied to one ounce for luncheon ant
! one for dinner. In arriving at tn
weight of the flour and sugar, tn
proprietor must take into consider
alton the fact that cakes, pastry
| biscuits, confectionery and slmila
articles contain 80 per cent of fiou
and 20 per cent. of sugar by weight
In many places now sugar is serv
ed in tiny tin. envelopes each con
tanning the amount allotted by law
While the food controller has no
yet placed the. private hope on ra
tions, he has made strenuous ap
peals to housekeepers to see that vol
untary rations are maintained
Bread meat and sugar being the mos
important articles of diet, the con
| troller has asked that each persoi
| limit the weekly diet to not mor'
| than four pounds of bread, a hal
pound of sugar and two and a hal
| pounds of meat.