New-York tribune., 1918-03-04
He Seeks to Meet Growing
Needs OF Allies for
Breadstufs
Tuesday Now Only
Meatless Day
Response of Public to Pre-
vious Appeals Has Great
ed Temporary Surplus
LStdF Correspondence I

"ASHlNGION, March 3.-The need
Tor additional saving of wheat and other
cereals to meet increased demands for
breadstuffs by the Allied nations TODAY
caused the food administration to relax
Its meat conservation restrictions in an
attempt to divert American food con-
sumption from cereal to animal prod
ucts. The meatless meal and the pork
less Saturday are eliminated from these
1000 regulations temporarily, it was an
nounced. The only meat restriction
continued in force is the meatless and
porkless Tuesday.
while the primary purpose Of the
partial suspension of the meat conser-
vatlon regulations is the effort to de-
velop additional breadstuff reserves to
supply the mounting needs of the AL
lies, the food administration further
explained to-day that the co0peration
OF the public III conserving meat prod
ucts during the last several months had
developed temporary surplus. which
! has been increased further by what
promises to be a record production of
hogs this year.
increased meat consumption, food ad-
mlnlstration officials believe, will of
itself curtail the use of wheat. and for
the present there is no intention to add
TO the restrictions already in force
against the use of flour.
Allies Demands Increase
in statement tonight, setting forth
the reasons for the change, Food Ad-
ministrator Hoover said
The Allies have made further and
increased demands for breadstutfs.
these enlarged demands being caused
TO some degree by shortage in arrivals
from the Argentine. 1t is therefore
necessary for the food administration
to urge still further reduction in the
consumption Of bread and breadstuffs
generally if we are to meet our eyport
necessities
Experience shows that the con-
sumption of breadstuffs is intimately
associated with the consumption Of
meat For various reasons our SUD-
, plies OF meat for the next two or three
months are considerably enlarged and
we can supply the Allies with all of the
meat products which TRANSPORTATION fa
! cilltles render possible and at the same
time somewhat increase our own con-
sumption. In these circumstances the
food administration considers it wise
to- relax the voluntary restrictions on
meat consumption to some extent with
view to further decreasing bread con-
/ sumption.
$50 long as the present conditions
continue the only special restrictions
we ask are the beetless and porkless
Tuesday.
The mcatless meal and the porkless
Saturday arc no longer asked.
The farmers of the United States
arc responolng to the national call to
increase hog production. Their in
crease, to all appearances, is being at
tanned more rapidly. OF more immedi
ate Importance, however, are several
complex factors which have effected an
immediate increase in meat supplies.
Plenty of Pork Promised
The transportation shortage before
the government took over the railroads.
the bad weather in January and early
IN February, the large percentage of
immature corn in the last harvest and
the necessity Of feeding this corn as
rapidly as possible to save it from
decay have not only resulted in back
ing up the particularly hogs
ON the farms for longer period of
feeding, but have resulted in great
increase in their average weight and
viii result~-with improved TRANSITIONAL
tlon conditions, which already appear
IN larger than normal arrivals at mar
Aet for The next two or three months.
The weight of hogs coming to the
market for the last two weeks Indicates
an increase IN weight of from an
average of 203 pounds last year to- the
almost unprecedented average of 232
pounds, or net increase in their meat
value OF over 10 per cent This is q
Glstlnct addition to the nations meat
supply. 1t, therefore, now seems Ger
tain that we have such enlarged SUD-
plies for at least some months to come
that we cannot only increase our ex-
ports to all the Allies to the full cx-
tent OF their transportation facilities,
but at the same time can properly in
crease our domestic consumption.
"The response Of the public to our
request for reduced consumption of
meat during the last few months has
been most gratifying, and this service
alone has enabled the government dur
ing this period to provide such sup
plies as transportation to the Allies
permitted: The enlarged supplies arc
likely to last for two or three months,
after which there will be the usual
seasonal decrease in the amount of
animals coming to market.
Home Supply Of Pork Urged
"The Administration also suggests
that, in those parts Of the country
where the old-fashioncd home prcscr-
vation of pork is still the custom, this
practice should be extended at the
present time, as it will relieve the
burden upon transportation to and
from the packing houses and is eco
nomically sound, as saving the cost of
packing operations, and at the same
time will provide home supplies OF
pork to last over the months Of de-
creased supplies
"The Food Administration desires to
repeat that it does not want to give
the impression that these are times
when simplicity and moderation Of liv-
ing are not critically necessary, but
that it's sole desire is to secure an ad-
justmcnt between our different food
supplies and meet changing conditions
from time to time. and to keep the
public fully and frankly advised of it's
position, with the full confidence and
reliance tnat whenever it becomes
necessary renewed nppeals for savintr