Evening star., 1945-06-10
Food Supply More Now
Than in Prewur Era
But Observer Sees Scarcity Until
Incomes Fall
By OUen L. Scott.

By OWen L. Scott.
Strange as it may SEEM the overall
supply OF food in this country is not
short by prewar standards American
farmers are producing nearly one-third
more food than they produced in the
1s35-193s period. Even after military
demands for food are subtracted and
even after lease-lend is counted out,
civilians still have slightly more food.
in total, than they had before the war.
Several factors account for the ap-
parent shortage at this time. One is
the failure of the Government to assure
fair distribution. Food is abundant
in some areas. 1t is abundant for
patrons of black markets, scare for
others. A second factor is the much
greater demand for food, now that in
comes are high. In meat, for instance,
people would buy 173 pounds per capita
this year where they actually bought
l25 pounds before the war, and evenly
divided, could have 125 pounds this
year. third factor in the apparent
shortage is the fact that some items
The Army and the Navy this year
are taking about 2l.5 per cent of the
nations total food supply. That means
that less than one-tenth of the popu-
lation is getting more than two-tenths
Of the food. Lease-lend accounts for
another per cent and commercial ex-
ports for per cent of the food. Tho
remaining food, if evenly divided, would
assure a per capita supply slightly
above preWar. The trouble is that
before the war higher income individu-
ais had more than their per capita
share and lower income individuals less
than theirs, so that today's shortage
is most real for those who had more
than the average in the past.
Meat appears to be the scarcest CON-
modify. Yet, on the basis of official
estimates, the per capita supply of meat
available to civilians in 1945 will be
about equal to prewar. 1t will be con-
siderably less than last year, however,
when the average was nearly $50
pounds per person. There would be
52.6 pounds of beef per capita this
year against 55.1 pounds last year, if
evenly divided Pork this year Is to
bt equal to $40 pounds per person
against 1855 pounds a year ago. Veal
! will be ll6 pounds this year against
/ ll2 last year and lamb pounds against
/ Sc pounds a year ago. That is what 1t
! would be if each person got his share,
! Some actually get very much more,
some very much less owing to the in
| ability of the Government to control
| the situation.
Eggs and poultry should make up for
the meat shortage for those who DO
not get their share. BY prewar stand
ards there is an abundance of both
OF these products. Yet demand from
people with money to spend Is so great
that a shortage of both of these
products is developing Again, faulty
distribution complicates the problem.
/ Sugar is very scarce. There is to be
| a 1945 supply Of only 70 pounds per
person against SO pounds last year and
| 96.5 pounds before the war.
Butter, too is in short supply at 1913
pounds per person, compared with 119
pounds last year and 1877 pounds before
the war. Other fats and oils, including
oleomargarine and salad oils, also are
short and will average about 297 pounds
this year against 1913 pounds per capita
last year.
Canned fruits and vegetables are to
be quite scarce.
Those are the principal shortages. A
shortage of cheese Is very real but
cheese consumption is not so important
relatively. Potatoes will be somewhat
shorter in supply than during 1914
Milk, however, is to be abundant.
The per capita supply Of fluid milk and
cream is to be 429 pounds per capita
this year, on the basis of official esti-
mates, against 423 pounds last year.
Ice cream producing will be large but
demand also is very great. so that there
will be an apparent shortage here.
Cereals of all kinds are to be abundant.
There will be an abundance of citrus
fruits.
The situation in meat should improve
4
quite certain to be heavier marketing
of cattle and hogs. Also, the new Sec
retary Of Agriculture and Food Admin
iStrator Clinton Anderson, can be ex-
pected to take steps to correct some
mistakes in policy related to food dis
| tribution. Mr.. Anderson, too is inclined
| to be unconvinced of the need for the
military to take the quantities of meat
and sugar, among other things, that
they are taking
Any real easing of the food situation
however, is to depend upon two things.
One is the end to the japanese war and
larger demobilization of armed forces
than now contemplated. The other is a
drop in incomes, which also is to go
! along with the end of the japanese war.
AS incomes drop, the demand for goods
| declines.
| A combination of those factors, to-
| eether with a return to something like
normal production in Europe in 1916,
should give relief from food scarcity at
some time in 1946 Until that time the
public will have to learn to get along as
best it can on a diet that is more heavily
weighted in cereals and less in meats.
sugar and fats.
Even so, nobody really will suffer.
There just will not be quite the choice
of foods that there has been and the
diet will be bit more monotonous.
IN ~ ST