Evening star., 1943-03-10
Canadian Housewife Envious
OfU. S. Food Rotioning Plan
She Finds No Canned Fruit and Few
Canned Vegetables Available on Market

wives might like to know how she
does her marketing, how much she
has to pay for groceries and how
she plans her meals.
We'll, in the old days" she said
II planned my menus for a week
in advance, then I would do the
marketing for a whole week in one
day. Now, because there are Sc
many things you can't get, I can
plan only three days ahead, and
go to market twice a week"
This seemed a convenient point
to ask her about the cost of living.
"Y ou're referring to the Govern
ment's ceiling on prices, I suppose, ="
she said. Il think it's been a tre-
mendous help. We couldn't man
age at all without it.
"Of course, I must admit that we
do some grousing, and We feel we
have some reason to. IF there was
ceiling on farm products then we
would be entirely satisfied that the
cost Of living was being controlled.
1t is certainly true that the cost
of living hasn't gone up much: in
fact, very little, since 194l, and now
it's said actually to be declining.
Fresh vegetables are the culprits
A head Of cabbage costs 25 cents.
Imagine! And green beans 25 cents
pound. And caulifloWer is 35
cents. Beets are very high and
carrots-10 cents worth of car
rots used to last us a week, now 10
cents worth is enough for only two
meals.
Apples Cost 80 Cents a Dozen.
Except for oranges, there aren't
any fruits-no bananas, no prunes,
no pineapples, no dried apr1cots. We
can get apples-but for a price.
Apples are 80 cents a dozen, and a
month ago they were so cents q
dozen. l can't understand why.
We are on the edge Of the apple
orchards-just 25 miles away. The
Government has a hot argument
about apples. The Government
says there's little nutrition in ap-
pies, anyway.
Meat prices have gone up. Pork,
for instance. was always cheap. You
could buy it for cents a pound.
Now its 40"
Mrs. Ellis then said: I'm afraid
I'm giving you the wrong impress
sion. Other prices have not in
creased and recently many prices
have gone doWn-milk and oranges,
for example. We're very we'll off. "
I asked Mrs. Ellis to name some
Of the shortages in Canada due to
the war. Let me See," she said.
1--WE can't get American dresses any
more. No table linen. No sheets
from the United States. No china,
And there's q very small choice Of
furniture. And, oh yes, you can't
buy scissors, for I tried to the other
day"
asked her how they liked having
their income tax taken out Of Mr..
Ellis pay.
I'VE think it's wonderful idea" ,"
she said. You know exactly where
you stand. You don't have that
awful sense Of something tragic
hanging over you from year to year
wondering how much your taxes
are going to be-"
Cost of Living Bonus Helps.
I asked If the cost-of living bonus
helps much,
Eyes, 1t does" she said. Mainly
it enables my husband to get a
better lunch. He used to be able
to get satisfying lunch for 80
cents. Now it's at least so cents "
Mrs. Ellis thought second on
the matter OF taxes. I'VE don't feel
we're paying too much, even If they
do say that Canada has proportion
ately the highest taxes in the world,
she said.
Indeed, we're probably not paying
enough. The government says we
should try to pay for the war as
we 60 and that seems wise. We
won't have to go on paying for it
a century or so after it's over
There's Just one tax we've kicked
about. For awhile they had hand
bags classed as a luxury and so