The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-05-03
ALLIES DEMAND
MORE CEREALS
American Meat Restrictions Re-
laxed to Effect Greater
Wheat Savings.
ARGENTINE ARRIVALS SHORT.
Meat supply Hers Considerably ~
tarned - Feod administrator
However, Warns Against
sNDRh WAst1.
SR 49, 2-A~DD0kf> 49,
ARGENTINE ARRIVALS SHORT


-whzp~ Waste. -
The allies have made further and
Increased demands for breadstunA'
these enlarged demands being caused
to some degree by shortage In arrivals
from the Argentine. 1t Is, therefore.
necessary for the q. $. Food Admins
tration to urge still further reduction
in the consumption of bread and bread
stufrs generally II we are to meet our
export necessities. The Food Admin
istration has issued q statement ex-
planning the situation in detail. pardc-
ularly the reasons which lead 1t, for
the purpose of centering effort for the
time being upon the cereal situation
to relax temporarily the restrictions on
meat consumption.
Experience shows, this statement
says, that the consumption OF bread
stuffs is intimately associated with the
consumption OF meat. For various
reasons our supplies OF meat for the
next two or three months are consid-
allies with all of the meat products
which transportation facilities render
possible and at the same time some
what increase our own consumption
In these circumstances the Food Ad.
ministration considers It wise to relax
the voluntary restrictions on meat con-
sumption to some extent with view
to further decreasing bread consump-
ton, ~
Conservation of food must be ad-
justed to meet necessities from time to
time, for neither production, nor al
lied demands are constant factors. nor
can any of these factors be anticipated
for long periods in advance in the dis
turbed conditions In which we at pres
ent live. While the world situation Is
not one that warrants any relaxation
In the efforts to eliminate waste or to
relax economy In food, the Admins.
tration desires to secure better adjust
ment in food balances.
So long as the present conditions
continue the only special restrictions
we ask are the beefless and porkless
Tuesday.
The meatless meal and the porkless
Saturday are no longer asked.
The farmers Of the United States
are responding to the national call to
Increase hog production. Their In
crease, to all appearances, is being at
tanned more rapidly. OF more imme-
date Importance, however, are several
complex factors which have effected
an immediate increase In meat sup
plies.
The transportation shortage before
the government took over the rail-
roads, the bad weather in January and
early in February, the large percent
age Of immature corn in the last har-
vest and the necessity of feeding this
corn as rapidly as possible to save 1t
from decay, have not only resulted in
backing up the animalS-particular
hogs-on the farms for a longer Pc
riod Of feeding, but have resulted in a
great increase in their average weight
and will result, with improved trans
.portation conditions, which already ap-
pear, in larger than normal arrivals at
market for the next two or three
months. The weight of hogs coming
to the market for the past two weeks
indicates an increase in weight of
from an average Of 2O3 pounds last
year to the almost unprecedented
average Of 232 pounds, or a net in
crease in their meat value of over Is
per cent This is distinct addition
to the nations meat supply. 1t there
fore now seems certain that we have
such enlarged supplies for at least
some months to come, that we can not
only Increase our exports to the allies
to the full extent of their transporta-
ton facilities. but at the same time
can properly increase our domestic
consumption.
The response of the public to our re-
quests for reduced consumption of
meat during the past 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 Administration also suggests
that In those parts of the country
where the old fashioned home preser-
| walton of pork is still the custom, this
practice should be extended at the
present time. as it will relieve the bur-
den upon transportation to and from
the packing houses and Is economical
" sound as saving the cost of packing
operations and at the same tive will
provide home supplies of pork to last
over the months of decreased supplies.
The Food Administration desires to
repeat that 1t does not want to give
the impression that these are times
when simplicity and moderation of liv.
lug are not critically necessary, bu,
that its sole desire Is to secure an nd.