The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-24

of the public tonight by the food administration, that the scant supplies available before the next harvest may be stretched to meet the needs of the army, domestic consumers and the allies.
 Every American is urged to cut his average ration of wheat by 50 per cent, which would reduce the total normal consumption of 42,000,000 bushels month to 21,000,000. That gives ration of not more than 11s pounds of wheat products weekly for each person. Flour sales will be cut ito one-eighth of barrel for town customer and to one-quarter of a bar rel for country customer, that re- tailers' stocks may be distributed to as great number as possible.
 The wheat content of bakers bread win be reduced to 75 per cent on April 14, which increased by per cent the amount of substitutes that must be used.
 NO HARDSHIPS
 Sacrifice in the wheat ration will en- tail no hardship in the opinion of food administration officials, because the sup ply of potatoes. corn, oats and milk is ample to maintain health.
 The full seriousness of the wheat situa- tion, and some of the difficulties with which the food administration has had to contend in warding off famine from the allies became known with the announce ment of the new plans.
 ALLIES NEEDS GROWING
 With food rations in France and Eng land cut to the utmost, there has been constant danger that the United States could not meet even minimum demands because of transportation handicaps. The breakdown in the railroads upset the corn exportation schedule so that on Marc h1 there had been sent abroad only 100000 against 64,0eo,ooo bushels of last year, and the 100,0oe000 bushels which it was hoped to send. Accordingly. the for eign populations have been dependent on wheat. The need of wheat is growing for after April the shipment of corr is attended with great risk of loss, owing to the possibility of germination More than 100000 bushels of contract corn has been gathered for shipment abroad in the last few days through the incorporation of grain exchanges and bie handlers with the food administration
 SUPPLIES DWINDLE
 As the demand for wheat has grown the supplies in elevators have dwindled Too, the usual flow of grain to marke has decreased in the last month from g., 900, 900 bushels weekly to 3,0O0 900. due, it-i: declared, to the desire of farmers to hold out their grain for the higher price pro posed in legislation before Congress Corn growers have added to the con price is not raised, and fixed as ths price of wheat has been fixed, they woult plant wheat instead of corn, which of ficials declare would work untold loss ir the wheat supply
 | The price of flour would be increased to s15 a barrel if the s2.50 a bushel fol wheat becomes law, according to foot administration officials.
 WORK IS HAMPERED Food administration officials said thei work had been hampered by the refusa F. of many persons to cooperate in foot conservation. One American Ii New Mexico was discovered to hay, Al. | purchased an additional 100000 bushels all of which he stored and refused to sell The grain was requisitioned. Severa similar cases in Minnesota are under in vestigation and the full power of the law will be invoked to punish hoarding tha attempts to hamper the prosecution O the war.
 Regulations for the enforcement oi wheat conservation are being worked ou by the food administration. AS the new regulations probably will be necessar, only until the harvest, a matter of thre, months, the administration has aban doned the idea of ration cards and will impose restrictions on mills. wholesaler. and retailers which can be established
 
 l ly Control of wheat at the mills prob ably will be tightened so that it's dis tribution throughout the country will b based on an equitable scale and no deal CT will have more flour than he can sel other than by strict apportionment. i he desires to take care of his trade. TEXT OF STATEMENT The food administration statement follows:
 If We are to furnish the allies witi the necessary proportion of wheat tt maintain their war bread from now unti the next harvest, and this is a militar, necessity, we must reduce our monthly consumption to 2i 100000 bushels, or D per cent of our normal consumption. Re serving margin for distribution to thu army and for special cases, leaves fo general consumption approximately II pounds of wheat products weekly pel person. Many of our consumers are de pendentsupon bakers bread. Such breat must be durable and therefore require! larger proportion of wheat product!