Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1918-04-11
CONSERVATION TO
Be INTENSIFIED.
Food Administration Outlines
Policy to Meet Desperate
Food Situation.

Raleigh.-In the face Of food sit
! uation much more critical than 1t
had been thought could possibly coma
about, the United States Food Admin
istration has ISSUED the following new
! conservation message, a copy of which
was wired to State Food Administra-
tor Henry A. Page. The statement
| follows:
If we are to furnish the Allies with
the necessary proportion of wheat to
maintain their war bread from now
until the next harvest-and this is a
military necessfty-we must reduce
our monthly consumption to 81 mil
lion bushels month, as against our
normal consumption of about AZ mil
lion bushels, or so per cent of our
normal consumption. Reserving q
margin for distribution to the army
and for special cases this leaves for
general consumption approximately
one and one-half pounds of wheat
products weekly per person.
Many Of our consumers are depend
ent upon bakers bread. Such bread
must be durable and therefore re-
CURES a larger proportion of wheat
products tran cereal bread as baked
in the household. Our Army and Navy
require full allowance. The well-to-
do in our population can make greater
sacrifices in the consumption of wheat
products than can the poor. In addi-
ton, our population in the agricultural
districts, where the other cereals are
abundant, are more skilled in the prep
aration of breads from these other
cereals than the crowded city and in
dustrial populations.
With improved transportation we
now have available a surplus Of pota-
toes. We also have in the spring
months surplus of milk and we have
ample corn and oats for human con-
sumption. The drain on rye and bar
ley as substitutes has already greatly
exhausted the supply of these grains.
To effect the needed saving Of wheat
we are wholly dependent upon the vol
untary assistance of the American
people and we ask that the following
rules shall be observed:
First. Householders to use not to
exceed total Of one and one-half
pounds per week OF wheat products
per person. This means not more than
one and three-fourths pounds Of VIC
tory bread containing the required
percentage Of substitutes and about
one-half pound Of cooking -four, mac
aroni, Crackers, pastry. pies. cakes.
wheat breakfast cereals, all combined.
Second. Public eating places and
clubs to observe two wheatless days
per week-Monday and Wednesday,
as at present; in addition thereto not
to serve in the aggregate a total Of
more breadstuffs, macaroni. crackers.
pastry, pies, cakes. wheat breakfast
cereals, containing total Of more
than two ounces Of wheat flour to any
one guest at any one meal; no wheat
products to be served unless specially
ordered; public eating establishments
not to buy more than six pounds of
wheat products per month per guest,
thus conforming with limitations re-
quested of the householders.
Third. Retailers to sell not more
than one-eighth Of barrel Of -four to
any town customer at any one time
and not more than one-quarter Of
barrel to any country customer at any
one time and in no case to sell wheat
products without the sale of an equal
weight Of other cereals.
Fourth. We ask the bakers and
srocers to reduce the volume of VIC
tory bread sold by delivery of the
three-quarters pound loaf where one
pound was sold before, and cores
ponding proportions in other weights.
We also ask bakers not to increase
the amount of their wheat -four pur.
chases beyond 70 per cent of the aver
age monthly amount purchased in the
four months prior to March LIST.
Fifth. Manufacturers using wheat
products for non-food purposes should
cease such uses entirely.
Sixth. There is no limit upon the
use Of other cereal fours and meals
corn, barley, buckwheat, potato -four,
etc.
Many thousand FAMILIES throughout
the land are now using no wheat prod
ucts whatever, except a very small
amount for cooking purposes and are
doing SO in perfect health and salts
faction.
There is no reason why all of the
American people who are able to cook
in their own households cannot sub
sist perfectly well with the use Of less
wheat products than one and half
pounds a week, and we especially ask
the well-to-do households in the coun-
try to follow this additional program
in order. that we may provide the nee
essary marginal supplies for those
parts of the community less able to
adapt themselves to so large pro-
portion of substitutes.
In order that we shall be able to
make the wheat exports that are alb
solutely demanded of us to maintain
the civil population and soldiers of
the Allies and our own Army, we pro-