Evening star., 1942-10-11

road schedule order, permitting the
Atlantic Coast Line and the Sea-
taurants will be limited with
meatless day. That hasn't been
worked out. 1t may be patrons will
be required to have coupon books
punched before they may obtain a
meat dish.
The 21a-pound individual allow
ance includes. at present, bones. So
those spareribs will count. It's all
meat, whatever it weighs, said the
spokesman.
But boneS," says a current bro
chure authorized by the FRC, make
broth and soup stock. To share ef-
fectively, Americans should learn to
use every kind of meat and every
bit of it. Kidney, brains, heart and
other organs are good foods, even
richer in some of the vitamins and
minerals than muscle meat. 1t
should be emphasized that they're
not part of the 212-pound allow
ance."
Poultry Is Not Included.
Nor is poultry included, and there
are at present no plans to ration
it. Thus the family meat budget
may be supplemented this winter
by turkey and chicken any time.
you can find them and are willing
to pay the prices, which were peggec
at the highest prevailing the week
of September 28-October O. Neither
are fish and other products of the
seas and inland water to be ra-
toned.
On this matter of bones, it is con-
ceded in official circles that the
plan to count all weight alike may
have to be modified when the du-
ration ration plan is set up. Spare
ribs and other bony products prob
ably will receive special dispensa-
ton. But during the temporary vol
untary period it was felt that try
ing to distinguish between meats
would be too complicated.
AS for Uncle Tim, you may give
him his veal. and it will not come
out of the family allowance. He's
supposed to deduct it from his.
THE dinner guest who consumes
his half pound of steak" writes
FRC, lis honor bound to deduct
that amount from his weeks quota,
although it does not count against
the quota Of his hosts family"
Meals at restaurant are to be
counted in the quota. The meat,
wherever it is eaten, comes out of
the 2la pounds
Only Red Meats Counted.
Only the red meats are to be
rationed under present plans-beef,
pork, mutton, lamb and veal. These
meats already are being rationed at
the packing plants. The packers are
limited during the last three
months of the year. to selling fixed
percentages of the amount they
sold during the same period last
year. These are the percentages:
Beef, 80; lamb and mutton, 95; pork,
IS; veal. 100,
Actually. it is pointed out, the
present allowance of 212 pounds a
person is no less than the estimated
national per capita consumption in
1886. This, of course, was a de-
preston year. and family meat al
lowances, on the whole, have gone
up considerably since.
In 1896, as matter of fact, fami-
lies with incomes less than $4,000
bought an average for each mem
ber of only 1.18 pounds a week.
Those with incomes of $4,000 or
more used S pounds a person.
Situation in. Other Countries.
In England, where the direct ra-
tioning system is in effect, each
person is entitled to about a pound
of fresh meat a week-in addition
to bacon, ham and certain other
meats he may be able to buy. The
present British per capita consump-
ton OF all the meats available is
estimated at IA pounds week.
The German ration is IL ounces
a week. In the Netherlands it is 9
ounces, while the Belgians are al
lowed only ounces. The situation
is still worse in Italy where the peo-
pie must be content with 81 to AZ
ounces every seven days
The reason for rationing in the
United States is, of course, the great
demand from our soldiers and SAIL
ors and our allies. This outweighs
the greatest production in American
history.
The meat output of farms for the
year that began July / is estimated
at 24,00o, ,000, 900 pounds-15 per cent
above the record year just passed.
Military and lease-lend require
ments, however, will take at least
612 billion pounds, perhaps more.
This leaves 1880 900 900 for Ameri-
can civilians. This ordinarily would
be enough, but officials point out that
this year the population is working
harder than normally and making
more money. and undoubtedly would
like to buy more than that.
Only One Answer.
Statisticians estimate the civilians
could well buy 81 .000, 900 900 pounds,
which would leave only $500, 600 900
for the armed forces and the Lease
Lend Administration-not nearly
enough.
There is only one answer" the
brochure states. Civilians will have
to get along on about $500 ,000, 900 |
less than they'd like to have"
Conceding the voluntary rationing |
plan now in effect poses problems to |
housewives, hotels and boarding |
house keepers, the writer for FRC |
adds that all these can be solved BY
common sense. and he calls the plan |
patriotic, fair and prudent. addinr.