Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-10

The ban has been removed from som,
goods but this has been mainly in tbs
case of things Importation of which
had been forbidden and which the
country found itself short Of.
Great Food Shortage.
! Remova. Of restrictions on most nt
the food necessities has not solved the
living problem of the masses how
ever. There is still great shortage
of many things, and moreover, prices
which went down last summer have
now mounted to about where thev
were al the signing of the armis+ice.
The Increase is attributed partly to
the world scarcity of necessities, part
| ~ to the augmented demand from the
recently helligerent countries, and
| partly TO inflated currency and adj
verse foreign exchanges The last
named have had a pronounced influ-
ence on prices and it is the belief
of economic exnerts that food cannot
| become much cheaper until these are
| adjusted. even though there IS an in
crease in production.
| The butter ration is placed at one
and one-half ounces for each person
per week. This refers to the inn
ported product only there being no
restriction on the use Of home made
butter. As matter of fact. virtually
no butter is being made in the United
Kingdom these days, so that the con
sumner has to 6epend upon margarine
and foreign butter.
Milk rnvs Better.
The reason there IS so little horne
produced butter on the market Is that
the retail price. approximately 60
cents pound, bears no relation to
the actual cost of butter to the farm
or. This month farmers can sell milk
at Ga cents gallon, and it takes 2 ~
gallons of milk to produce a pound
Of butter. If English butter were
selling at fits true economic value it
would be about st24 per pound
Until recently the sugar ration was
twelve ounces for each person ner
week, but owing to the shortage this
allowance has been decreased to
eight ounces, and is expected to re-
main at that mark for many months.
The amount allowed to the confec-
uonery and sweets Trades has been
reduced by rs per cent and a further
reduction is expected with the new
year.
butchers meat was rationed until
few weeks ag'o. each person being
allowed 40 cents worth per week. In
consequence of the receipts recently
"f a large supply Of mutton and lamb
from Australia and New Zealand it
was found possible to remove all ra-
tioning restrictions and the food
ministry has expressed the hope that
people will relieve the food situation
by eating more meat, which is well
come advice for England.
Despite the small ration only about
so per cent of the meat allowance
was being demanded by ticket hold
ers each week. This was due either
to a change of habits since the be-
ginning Of the war or to the. high cost
Whenever a butcher had a balance of
meat left over at the week end he was
permitted to sell It to any one Of his
customers, irrespective of whether
they had already had their ration or
not. In this wav some people were
able to exceed the amount provided
for by their permits
Sale of Beer Restricted.
The sale of beer and spirits is still
restricted in quantity and the strength
of both beer and whiskey is much be-
low the pre-war average. AS a re-
suit, it was said, there has been an in j
crease in sohriety. Whiskey is at
present about 80 per cent under proof.
Alcoholic drinks can only be pur-
chased between noon and $3.50 D. m,
and between 6 and 10 o'clock at night.
The food ministry still fixes whole
sale prices for a number of other
commodities ard the ministry is the
actual purchaser and distributor of
cheese, bacon. ham. lard, dried fruits,
bread, butter, cocoa powder, con-
densed milk and canned fish. The
fixing Of the maximum price, it must
be noted. does not prevent the sale
of goods for a sum below that
amount, and in many cases foodstuffs
are being vended much below the
limit fixed by law.
The ministry is believed to be the |
largest in the world It's annual ex-
penditure is about $1,000, 000, 900. |
The object of the department is not
10 make a profit. but IN transactions
Of this magnitude it is impossible to /
make tOth sides of the account bal
ance. Tie actual figures are not vet
available but it is expected that the
profit this year will not exceed So
500, 900, Last year there was a profit
of about $35, 100000. the whole of
which was expended during the sum-
mer in supplying certain articles of
food below their cost price Thus the
profit doesn't enrich the treasury but
goes entirely for the benefit of the
consumer.
The maximum coal ration was and
still is fixed at five tons for the in
lividual consumer for the year be-
ginning July l. 1919. Gas and cleo
richly are restricted accordingly. Bus
ness also is under restrictions. It is
provided that the board of trade may
ssue special permits for the use of
.oal, gas or electricity beyond the.
alton, If it is deemed an absolute
lecessity