Evening star., 1941-09-28


unavailable in Italy, and bread has
been adulterated with lower grade
ingredients, in steps taken to stave
off rationing. Spaghetti, main
stay in Italian diet, has been ra-
! toned for many months. 1t like
wise has been adulterated.
Mussolini reported to the cabinet
that the grain harvest had been
! lower than the forecasts, although
slightly higher than in 1910. He
estimated the crop at II 100000
ouintals. or about 262 100000 BUSH
els. as compared with II 900 900 quin-
tails last year.
The grain harvest, communique
said. lis very deficient as compared
/ to last years while the needs for
! the armed forces and the occupied
/ territories have increased
Italy, it was said, must send food
to the occupied territories in the
Balkans, particularly Greece.
/ 1t was announced a week 90 that
October l also would bring ration
/ ing of shoes and clothing. Yester-
day authorities declared that heat
ing of buildings would start 10 days
later this winter beginning De-
cember l in Northern Italy. Decem-
! ber 10 in Central italy and December
! 20 in Southern Italy. with furnaces
to be fired only seven hours day.
In Rome. where heating begins De-
cember 10, it began last year on
December ! and lasted for 100 days,
to March 10.
Papers Urged Cleanup.
Premier Mussolini proposed the
law giving the Fascist party a voice
/ in filling public Offices or other
political jobs in order to guarantee
/ that the appointees are good Fas-
| eiSts
This measure follows a call in
II Duces newspaper. II Popolo
dItalia. and other newspapers, for
! cleanup in public and economic
administrations, where it was said
that there are too many former
/ Liberals, Socialists and Democrats
as we'll as persons of neutral po-
litical feelings who have acquired
party membership.
The cabinet further passed
measure providing for representa-
tives of the government. the Fas-
cist party and public institutions to
watch over the operations of pri-
vate concerns to see that they are
effectively carried out" These
delegates" are to serve without pay
and have no place on the boards or
In the management of firms.
Financial Provisions.
The financial measures adopted
provide:
All private deals in real estate are
declared null and void unless reg
! istered and tax-paid within so days
/ This would nullify transfers of prop
/ erty made to evade a 80 per cent
tax on the profits from such sales.
A uniform 20 per cent tax on
profits from the sale of business Sc
! curities on the stock exchanges sub
stituted for previous variable scale
running up to so per cent, with a
new brokers surtaX of per cent to
be paid by the buyer. A so per cent
tax on profits from real estate COM
panieS not quoted on the stock ex-
change remains unchanged.
Holders OF shares of private COM
panies must be registered to prevent
evasion of a 20 per cent tax on their
profits. A communique said this also
would permit closer check on stock
market operations which with an
unreasonable and sudden price fluc-
tuation disturb the tranquility of
economic circles and the serenity OF
labor"
This check it was said, "is par
ticularly necessary in this period in
which all the forces of the country
must be expended toward carrying
on the war, making ready the neces-
Sary means for internal resistance
and achievement of victory"
Government bonds and the obliga-
tions of public and private institu-
tions are exempted from all these
provisions.
Plants TO Be Decentralized.
Industrial decentralization was
provided for in another law calling
for distribution of factories in zones
of, new hydroelectric plants in CEN
traF and southern Italy, Sicily and
Sardinia.
This measure was adopted partial
ly for military security, COM
munique said, presumably to protect
the factories against air raids, but
also to promote industrial develop
ment of the central and southern
provinces and the islands
The rationing of bread is a major
event in the wartime restrictions for
Italians, who normally eat more of
1t than most Europeans. The aver
age daily consumption before ra-
tioning is estimated at 300 grams
tabout 10 ounces) per person, or
about one-third more than the new
ration for the average person.
The workers for whom the sup
plement is allowed have bread as
their main article of diet.
Rationing of spaghetti and other
foods made with flour has kept Ital-
ian consumption of wheat at point
roughly half of what it was five
years ago, when the annual con-
sumption was estimated at 1896
pounds per head, or about II ounces
a day.
Encouragement in Speeches.
Not only members of the working
class are large bread eaters, but
Office workers are also. One typical
Italian family of office workers of
five persons, including two children.
has been eating two kilograms or
nearly ~ pounds Of bread . day.