114 



Cost of Control of Food Supplies. 



[may, 



Some dissatisfaction has been expressed at the price of is. 2d. 

 per lb. fixed for sugar for domestic preserving. For some time 

 past the world price of sugar has been so high that only by 

 purchases made long in advance has the Sugar Commission 

 been able to issue sugar for ordinary domestic consumption 

 to be retailed until recently at the low price of M. per lb. 

 -Even the present price of lod. per lb. can be continued only while 

 the supplies purchased before the rise in the world's price 

 remain available. The issue of sugar for domestic preserving 

 at any price lower than an " economic " selling price would, 

 unless world prices fall in the meantime, bring nearer the time 

 when the price of sugar for the domestic ration will again have 

 to be raised. This would be unfair to the large number of 

 people who either do not desire to make jam, or who have no 

 facihties for doing so in their own homes, and who consequently 

 have to purchase their jam at manufacturers' prices. The 

 price of is. 2d. per lb. is the retail equivalent of the wholesale 

 price charged to jam manufacturers, and it would be mani- 

 festly unfair if sugar were supplied for private jam making 

 at an artificially low price. {National Food Journal, 14th 

 April, 1920.) 



An o'fficial account of the administrative expenses of the 

 Ministry of Food for the financial year ended 31st March, 1919, 

 is published in the issue of the National 

 Cost of Control of p^^^ Journal for the 14th April, and con- 

 Food Supplies. ^ . ^ i_-i.i. i-ii_ x -1 

 tarns matter which should be 01 special 



interest to farmers. 



It is stated that the purchase and re-sale of f6od stuffs 

 through official channels were undertaken in order to break 

 down the holding-up of produce by those traders who would 

 not consent to sell at a reasonable margin of profit. The close 

 control of distribution to the consumer by compulsory rationing 

 is a very costly venture, and is justfiied only in grave emer- 

 gencies such as the nation has recently encountered. 



The heaviest portion of the cost has been absorbed in 

 rationing a community of 40,000,000, or about 10,000,000 

 households, an average cost of 8s. 6d. per household for a whole 

 year. Those whose misfortune it was to endure the misery 

 and discomfort of the queues in the winter of 19 17- 18 will be 

 the last to complain of a levy of 2d, a week to ensure fair and 

 equitable distribution of the necessities of life. 



