Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1918 — MUST CONSERVE WHEAT TO MEET THE DEMANDS [ARTICLE]

MUST CONSERVE WHEAT TO MEET THE DEMANDS

Important Announcement Issued by United States Food Administration at Washington. Washington, March 24.—1 f we are to furnish the allies with the necessary proportion of wheat to maintain their war bread from now until the next harvest—and this is a military necessity —we must reduce our monthly consumption 21,000,000 bushels a month as against our normal consumption of about 42,000,000 bushels, or 50 per cent of our normal consumption. Reserving a margin for distribution to the Army and for special cases leaves for general con sumption approximately 1% pounds of wheat products weekly per’ person. Many of our consumers are dependent upon bakers’ bread. Such bread must be durable, and therefore requires a larger proportion of wheat products than cereal breads baked in the household. Our Army and Navy require a full allowance The wellto do in our population can make greater sacrifices in the consumption of wheat products than can the poor. Ip addition, our population in the agricultural districts, where the other cereals are abundant, are more skilled in the preparation of breads from these other cereals than the crowded city and industrial populations. With improved transportation conditions we now have available a surplus of potatoes. We also have in the spring months a surplus of milk, and we have ample corn and oats for human consumption. The drain on rye and barley as substitutes has already greatly exhausted the supply of these grains. To effect the needed saving of wheat we are wholly dependent upon the voluntary assistance of the American people, and we ask that the following rules shall be observed. 1. Householders to use not to exceed a total of pounds per week of wheat products per person. This means not more than 1% pounds of Victory bread containing the required percentage of substitutes and onehalf pound of cooking flour, macaroni. crackers, pastry, pies, cakes, wheat breakfast cereals, all combined.

2. Public eating places and clubs to observe two wheatless days per week—Monday and Wednesday, as at present. In addition thereto not to serve to any one guest at any one meal an aggregate of breadstutfs, macahont, crackers, pastry, pies, cakes, wheat breakfast cereals containing a total of more than 2 ounces of wheat flour. No wheat products to be served unless specially ordered. Public eating establishments not to buy more than 6 pounds of wheat products per month per guest, thus conforming with the limitations requested of the householders. 3. Retailers to sell not more than one-eighth of a barrel of flour to any town customer at any one time and not more than one-quarter of a barrel to any country customer at any one time, and in no case to sell wheat products without the sale of an equal weight of other cereals. 4. We ask the bakers and grocers to reduce the volume of Victory bread sold by delivery of the threequarter pound loaf where 1 pound was sold before and corresponding proportions in other -weights. We also ask bakers not to increase the amount of their wheat-flour purchases beyond 70 per cent of the average monthly amount purchased in the four months prior to March 1. 5. Manufacturers qsing wheat products for nonfood purposes should cease such use entirely. 6. There is no limit upon the use of other cereals, flours and meals, corn, barley, buckwheat, potato flour, etc.

Many thousand families throughout the land are now using no wheat products whatever, except a very small amount for cooking purposes, and are doing so in perfect health and satisfaction. There is no reason why all of the American people who are able to cook in their own households can not subsist perfectl well with the use of less wheat products than pounds a week, and we especially ask the well-to-do households in the country to follow this additional program in order that we may provide the necessary marginal supplies for those parts of the community less able to adapt themselves to so large a proportion of substitutes. In order that we shall be able to make the wheat exports that are absolutely demanded of us to maintain the civil populations and soldiers of the allies and our own Army we propose to supplement the voluntary cooperation of the public by a further limitation of distribution, and we shall place at once restdictions on distribution, which will be adjusted from time, to time to secure as nearly equitable distribution as possible. With the arrival of harvest we should be able to relax such restrictions; until then we ask for the necessary patience, sacrifice, and cooperation of the distributing trades.