Mexico Missouri message., 1918-05-30
American Meat Restrictions Re-
Iaxed to Effect Greater
Wheat Savings.
ARGENTINE ARRIVALS SHORT
Meat Supply Here Considerably En-
Iaraed - Food Administration,
However, Warns Against
Waste.

lHSSe GAldIBeu ueLluuuS bSihb N"uSSN
to some degree by shortage in arrivals
from the Argentine. 1t is, therefore
necessary for the U. S. Food Admins
tration TO urge still further reduction
in the consumption of bread and bread
stuffs generally If we are to meet OuI
export necessities. The Food Admin
istration has issued a statement ex
planning the situation in detail, partic
ularly the reasons which lead 1t, fol
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.
erably enlarged, and we can supply the
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.
ministratlon considers It wise to relax
the voluntary restrictions on meat con-
sumption to some extent with view
to further decreasing bread consump.
tion.
Conservation of food must be adj
justed TO meet necessities from time to
time, for neither production, nor al
Hr 90
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-
dIate 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 it
from decay, have not only resulted in
backing up the neutrality-suspicious.
hogs-on the farms for a longer pc
riod of feeding, but have resulted in q
great Increase in their average weight
and will result, with improved trans.
pOrtation conditions, which already ap
pear, in larger than normal arrivals al
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 203 pounds last
year to the almost unprecedented
average of 232 pounds, or a net in
crease in their meat value of over /;
per cent. This is a distinct addition
to the nations meat supply. 1t there
fore now seems certain that we have
such enlarged supplies for at leas
some months to come, that we can no
only increase our exports to the allies
to the full extent of their transporta
ton facilities, but at the same tim,
can properly increase our domesti
consumption.
The response of the public to our re
quests for reduced consumption o
meat during the past few months ha
been most gratifying, and this servic
alone has enabled the government dur
Ing this period to provide such sup
plies as transportation to the allie
permitted.
The Administration also suggest
that In those parts of the cOuntr
where the old fashioned home presel
walton of pork is still the custom, thl
practice should be extended al tn
llulCt as IL VIII ISlleNS Tie Dul
den upon transportation to and froI
the packl'l= houses and is economical
ly sound ~ saving the cost of packn
operations and at the same time wi
provide home supplies of pork to las
over the months Of decreased supplies
The Food Administration desires /
repeat that it does not want to Civ
the impression that these are time
when simplicity and moderation of liz
ing are not critically necessary, bl
that its sole desire is 10 secure an az
justIhent between our different foe
supplies and meet changing condition
from time to time and TO keep the pu
lie fully and frankly advised of d
position with the full confidence an
reliance that whenever il becomes ne
essary renewed appeals for saving wi
met the same loyal response as in Il
past.