New-York tribune., 1918-03-18

S7,00O,000 to assist intensive
a agricultural development. Of this
amount S4,50O,000 is to maintain low
maximum prices for cattle feed and
fertilizer.
In recent issue Of "Sociala Med
delanden," the journal of the Swedish
Department for Social Affairs, details
are given Of the results of inquiries
instituted by the department in the
years 1916 and 1917, respectively, as to
the extent to which changes have taken
nlacc in the dietary of the poorer
classes during the war. The results OF
the inquiry made in 1916 show that
during the period from May, 1914, to
May, 1916, there was a great tendency
to substitute cheaper for dcarer ar
ticles of food and cereal and vegetable
for animal food. Thus, on the whole,
there was a decreased consumption of
meat, milk, butter, cheese and eggs,
while the consumption Of fish, mar
garine, bread, flour, groats, peas, pota-
toes and sugar increased. Even in the
same group Of food articles the change
indicated was apparent. Thus, mar
garine took the place of butter, and
rye bread was substituted for wheaton
bread. The changes in dietary were, in
fact, such as were bound to result when
q general rise in prices is not fully off
set by rise in the level of wages.
During the period from May, 1916, to
June-July, 1917, the inquiry shows that
the changes in dietary proceeded on
different lines from those followed in
the previous period. The increasing
scarcity of certain foods and the ra-
tioning which was thus rendered neces-
sary brought about considerable linz
itation in the consumption of the
cheaper cereal and vegetable foods.
The consumption of bread, -four, groats,
potatoes, peas, sugar and margarine de-
creased considerably. On the other
hand, the consumption Of other COM
modities, principally animal foods, in
creased, although they were not of the
cheaper class, as, for example, meat
and butter.
The value of Chinese tea exports to
the United States increased to S4,567,-
748 in 1917 from $2,396,342 in 1916.
The embargo on tea to England has di-
verted considerable quantities Of this
product to America. The tea trade of
China is said to have passed through
one of it's mcst disastrous years, tea
planters having suffered severe losses.
The second report of Sir William
Plender on the liquidation Of the en-
cmy banks in London has been pub
lished. The report covers the opera
tions for the year ended September 80
last, but it does not, as had been hoped.
indicate that the liquidation of the
banks affairs is nearing completion,
saws "The Bankers Magazine" Of Lon
don. On the contrary, the Controller
now states that "it is impossible for
the affairs of the London branches Of
the banks to be finally liquidated dur
ing the war within the terms Of the
licenses, if by final liquidation is
meant the collection of all assets other
than enemy assets, and the repayments
of the advances by the Bank of Eng
land (c4.1O4, ,1O8), and, in the case of the
of it's unsecured cred
itors Approximately s630,000)." 1t is
pointed out that the assets, mostly in
the nature of book debts, remaining to
be realized on September 80 last pos
scss an aggregate book value Of So, ,44S,-
7SO. excluding liens on enemy securi-
ties (eS41 ,543) and debts in occupied
territory (G561 ,2O4), but only small
part of the value of these assets is
capable of collection during the war.
Further, when vcsting orders in re-
spect of the major portion of the Sc
of Trade and the securities comprised
in the orders delivered to the Bank Of
England for account Of the custodian,
there will remain to be dealt with both
the securities subject TO lien and the
banks own securities, most of which, it
is stated are at present unstable or
unrcalizable except at heavy discount.
The German peace with the Ukraine
has probably opened up important min
eral supplies to Germany which are
much needed. This is particularly true
Of manganese orc. Discussing this
treaty in its effects on Germany's sup
plies of manganese ore and iron ore,
"The London Ironmonger" has the fol-
lowing to say:
Cone article of vital Importance for
muniton work Of which Germany is in
sore need is believed to be plentiful in
tie Ukraine This is manganese orc,
OF which Russia is the largest pro
ducer in tho world. The great store
house Of manganese is the Tchiaturi
mines in the Caucasus, producing be-
fore the war about one-half of the
worlds supply, of which, again, one
half was shipped to Germany from the
pert of Batum. With the war this port
was sealed to the outer world and enor-
nous stocks accumulated. At the end
OF 1916 there were $4,000 tons of orc
at the mines and $4,000 tons at Batum,
This is far away from the Ukraine, it is
true, but it is by no means certain that
these supplies will continue to be out
Of Germany's reach. In the Ukraine
itself, however, Mt Nikopol, on the
Dn1epcr there are also large man
Gancse ore deposits, yielding about one