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J^as are required for the protection of the public, circumstances have forced scane 

 ^^econcjmies in distribution which we hope will be carried over into peactimo. For ex- 

 ample, it is reported that the regulations of the Office of Defense Transportation 

 In St. Louie have already reduced mileage 58 per cent in connection with retail milk 

 delivery. Likewise, milk and cream pickup routes are "being revised to make substantial 

 savings in mileage and man hours. According to the Dairy Situation , a Chicago cream- 

 ery reported that in February 19^3 the over-all mileage was 915 thousand as against 

 1,5^1 thousand for the same month in I9UI. An ice cream company in Kansas City has 

 reduced mileage from 9^ thousand in October 19^1 to 52 thousand in January 19*^5. 



Processors and distributors have ccmplained of the very heavy burden placed 

 upon them by the point rationing system. They are obliged to increase their clerical 

 staff, and it takes more time of the administrative staff as well. This ccmplaint, 

 however, is countered by the Office of Price Administration in pointing out that the 

 food dealers' position is the best on record. The volume of business done by food 

 retailers and wholesalers, dollar margins over costs and profits before taxes, steuid 

 at a high level. In support of this statement, it is pointed out that retail sales 

 of food totaled 22.9 billion dollars in 19^2, an increase of 96 per cent over 1939, 

 and that, at present, dollar sales are at an even higher level. The Office of Price 

 Administration promises relief for exceptional situations where price regulations work 

 a hardship. 



The war brings about very great advances in technology and science. Although 

 the world will be some hundreds of billions of dollars poorer as a result of the war, 

 we shall have learned to produce new and more efficient machines and other goods. 

 Ono development in the field of agriculture has been the necessity to shift to new 

 types of processed foods, particularly^dohydrated foods, in order to conserve ship- 

 ping space and tonnage and to improve the keeping quality of foods. The government 

 has shifted moro and more to the purchase of dehydrated foods for lend lease. We 

 are now drying a substantial fraction of our egg output in the corn belt. More em- 

 phasis is also being placed upon dried ffults and milk powders. Dehydrated vege- 

 tables and soups are also being made available in large quantities. All of these 

 developments will have an effect upon Illinois agriculture, particularly after the 

 war when the demands will once more not be able to absorb everything that farmers 

 are able to produce at the favorable prices we have today. It was recently pointed 

 out by Dr. Bartlett of this college that the dairy industry will probably be obliged 

 to make some adjustments. 



Prospects for impdrts . The recent reports indicate that the United Nations 

 are doing a better Job in meeting the submarine menace. Then, too, we now have better 

 control of the Mediterranean. As a result of these two factors, it may be that more 

 cargo vessels can be released for importing goods into the United States. A news re- 

 lease dated June 8 indicated that imports of cocoa are running about twice the amount 

 of the corresponding period a year ago--l,680 thousand bags so far this jeor against 

 767 thousand during the same period in 1942. It is also possible that we shall have 

 larger imports of tankeige and other protein supplements from Australia and Argentina. 

 As a result of the revolution in Argentina, it ia possible that the recent beui on the 

 exports of edible oils may be lifted. This restriction iras originally placed on ex- 

 ports because of a low supply in Argentina; however, they may be willing to share 

 part of their supply in order to take care of a particularly important war demand 

 for certain of these oils in the United States. 



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