Evening star., 1942-03-22
Sharper Ration Cuts
Faced as Britain
Speeds War Drive
Deficit at New High,
Yet More Must Go
Into Hopper
BY EDWARD ROBINSON,

LONDON, March 2l.-The high
powered push to convert Britain
from a complacent to a compulsory
war effort gathered momentum this
week.
Forecasts indicated something like
q Is per cent cut in coal. gas and
electricity, further trimming of
clothing rations. and a clearing out
Of weeds" in the agriculture system.
The country was told that al
though now spending about so per
cent Of its resources on Govern
ment purposes, compared with a
pre-war 20 per cent, 1t was not
enough.
The stock market seemed to be
awaiting favorable trade wind and
was comparatively inactive. The
continued gloomy war situation was
q factor there.
Spending at New Peak.
Government expenditures last
week touched $413 $4,000. of which
$409,816,0OO was spent on supply
services. Revenue fell to s213,-
108, 900, leaving a deficit of $780,
6s4 900, the largest yet for 1912.
Around 10000 miners were ex-
pected to be released from the fight
ing services in an effort to step up
coal production, which In February
was q million tons short. There
were about 300 900 coal miners be-
fore the war, but nearly 100000 had
been drawn of into the armed forces
and other industries.
The engineering industry, follow
ing the lead set by ordnance and
aircraft factories. agreed to joint
control committees of management
and workers In all factories in an
attempt to break industrial bottle
necks.
Food stocks we're reported 80 per
cent higher than at this time a
year ago. all safely slowed away in
more than 5000 cold storag
dumps throughout the country.
Vegetable Prices Up.
But vegetable prices were causing
comment. In the West End, cucum-
bers were $170 each. Mushrooms
were quoted at $210 a pound. String
beans brought $3.50 a pound, and a
small bunch Of asparagus cost S..
In suburban stores cauliflowers were
80 cents each and brussels sprouts
from 13 to Is cents pound.
Still, Britain claimed to be lead
ing Europe in mechanized farming
Potato and other vegetable crops
were nearly double normal. Six
million acres have been added to
the old total of arabic land, a so
per cent increase. This was said
to be Remarkable" since 80 per cent
Of Britain's farms didn't exceed $50
acres.
Women not only have been learn
ing to cook vegetarian meals, but
have been asked to take over plots
Of ground-"allotments"-to grow
vegetables in order to save man
power.
Another angle to the supply situ-
alton was a new plan limiting whole
salers' deliveries to retailers to nine
defined areas outside of which it
would be illegal to supply goods.
Considerable economies in trans
port. fuel and labor were expected.
The Food Ministry cleared up a
recent puzzle by ruling that a four
weeks supply of food would be con-
sidered reasonable" In each house.
hold.
Fined $40 for Sardines.
Sardines in hors d'oeuvres cost a
hotel ncensee $40 fine. The de-
cision was that the sardines made
. subsidiary meal of the intended
appetizers. not allowed when the
rest Of the meal included fish. The
ruling: You can serve sardines
With hors d'oeuvres as long as the
weight of the sardines is not more
than one-third Of the total weight
Of the various dishes making up the
hors d'oeuvres."