New Food Economy Campaign. It has already been stated in Phe Times that Lord Rhondda and Sir Arthur Yapp are looking to the local Food Control Commnittees for heip in organizing and carrying through the new food economy campaign. The following letter hais been addressed by Lord Rhondda to the chair- men of these local coibmittees :- ' I ' Inz the letter which I addressed on:August .lIast to the President of the Local Government Board, asking him to approach local authorities with a view to the appointment of Food Control Committees, I foreshadowed the necessity of an .early. campaign for the saving and preservation of our food supplies, and I indicatecrin that letter my intention of entriust- ing to the new committees the duty of continuing and developing the food; economy work already initiated by the War Savings Committees. ' ' The harvestsof the world will not meet the require- 33icnts of ourselves and our Allies during theoncxt 12 months unless our present rate of consumption Is materiaUy reduced. The need for the strictest economy is intensified by the steps which the Govern- ment have taken by reducing the price of essential foodstuffs. Unless these plain facts can be brought' home promptly to every household, the coming winter will be a time of the gravest anxiety. I see no alternative between a rigid economy voluntarily effected and a compulsory system of rationing. I therefore 'invite your committee to take the initiative by apointing immediately a Food Economy Committee with power to appoint one or more sub-committees to undertake the prosecution of a food economy campaign throughout their area. The lines on which this campaign can best be con- ducted must largely be determined by local oppor- tunities' and local needs. While suggesting there- fore that the membership of the Economy Committee might conveniently be restricted in the first instance to. 12 members, many of whom should no doubt be chosen from outside the Food Control Committee itself, I do not propose to limit strictly the number of members who should be appointed. I desire, however, to suggest that no committee wiU be in a poition to make the universal appeal which the gravity of the occasion demands, unless they are in the wvidest sense representative of all the classes to whom, it must be addressed. In particular .I would urge the necessity of securing tho confidence and help of Labour organizations, of the cooperative nmovement, of associations representative of women's lnterests, of the education authorities and of teachers, including teachers of domestic science, of the rehgious bodies of all denominations; and of every other organized association that is willing to join with them in bringing home this appeal. Your com- mittee will recognize the special. value of the help which the Press throughout the country are in a position to afford them. They will appreciate also the portance of enlisting the help of any members of a National War Savings Committec who;. have devoted, themselves specially to food economy propaganda, in your district, and of securing expert advice from the trades most nearly concerned with food supply. For this latter purpose they'may find 4t convenuent -to appoint special advisory comn- inittecs of traders. A separate note wrill be forwrarded immediately indicating the scale on which, the ex- enses of this work will be repayable from national The Ministry of Food have been fortunate in securing the services of Sir Arthur Yapp, whose work in con-. nexion with the Y.M.C.A. is well known throughout this country and' among the Armies abroad. A department is being developed under his auspices with a view to guiding the cantpaign for food economy and keeping comnnittees in touch with' the results of experiments made in different parts -of the country. Sir Arthur is at one with me m believing that the campaign for economy and for the avoidance of all waste can only succeed if it is brought home with the' full resources of local knowledge and indepndent Initiative to every home in the country. He wilI approach directly the many national associations wnilch can help him to bring these resources into play. But I make this first 4ppeal' to the Food Control' Committees who have already reaponled generously to theocori1ldenc,, I have placed in'them. Tbeylibve special opportunities for measuring the necessities ox the coming wfinter and for seeing them in their true relation to the fortunes of our Armies in theileld. -Yours very faithfully, ltHOiwDA. FREER USE OF POTATOES.- Supplementary to Lord- Rhondda's letter, Sir Arthur Yapp is sending out suggestions for the guid. ance of the food economy committees, and he hopes that very-shortly the country wiU be organizedifor the purpose of carrying out this urgent campaign. " l.n. the.meantime," Sir Arthur writes, "I would appeal to every one to make as much use of potatoes and fresh vegetables as possible. Potato dishes are cheap -and nourishing.- I am, receiving scores of letters from patriotic people urging the.use of potatoes at almost every meal. There is another side of the plentiful use of potatoes and green vegetables. By going so you help to conserve breadstuffs, whereas potatoes - and. fresh vegetables -may not keep. I Would anxiously ask all caterers to serve only half- portions or rolls of bread at first to customers, as it is much more economical to serve a second slice dr portion tHan to have-one-third'or half of the original large: portion left on the plate uneaten; or better still, only to serve bread on request other than at the midday meal. . "To meet the temporary bacon'hortage'I would suggest a -more varied breakfast menu. On the lines fvery exellenb Army catering, bacon is suggested one morning, fish another, &Ec., wfith, of course, ' - ,--HOTEL MEBALS. To a representative of The Timea Sii Arthur Yapp urged the desirability of stiU greater- economy in meals served in hotels and restaurants. People of' the wo$rkng classes who are earning high wages at present are to be askled to spend less money than they have been- doing'on food. It is felt, however, thet this appeal wil be prejudiced if elaborate and costly luncheons. and dinners are still eaten in public. by wealthy -men- and 'women. Hotels and restaurants are - now rationed so far as the consumption in bulk of bread, meat, and sugar is concerned; but it 'is well- known that in the best restaurants a sovereign can be spent on a single meal and good value obtained for the expenditure. - Without any breach of exist- ing-regulations it is possible to obtain a dinner made up or seven. courses. In the interests of national safety an alteration is required in this respect., LucTrmnxs Fon ScRooL CHLmwsiN. The L.C.C. Education Committee, in a report to -be presented to the Council to-morrow,- say that they. have considered an application from the Ilinistry of Food for certain accriEdited speakers to -address audiLnces-of school children between the ages of 9 and. 14, in such of the elementary schools as wiiU invite themnto do so, on the subject of tho -necessity of economy in food. It was suggested that essays might subsequently he -written on the lectures, de- livered, the two best essays by the pupils of each age in each'school to be forwarded to the Ministry of Nood. lIHaving regard to the importance- of the subject, the -Education Comnruttee have given the permssion asked dor. - -CONTROL OF CuRRANTS AND SULTANAS. The Food ControUer, by an Order dated October 13, is taking over a currants and sultanas now afloat and shipped to the United Kingdom. The;price to be paid by the Food Controller is left for subsequent determination. All persons owning or havng Power to sell or dispose of any such currants and sultanas are required, before October 20, to furnish to the Secretary, Ministry of Food, Grosvenor House,-W.1, returns showing the quantities nowafloat,and setting out in each case the quantities s9ld and unsold. In view of this Order it is interesting to notoithat not only -are currants and sultanas very dear, but that it is becoming very difficult to buy- them in the shops: Grocers have been telling their customers durmng the past week that eurrantg at Christmas - wiU cost 2s, a pound, and a feeling has developed - that some merchants and even retailers are holding- up stocks in order to get this price later. POTATO BAGS. Under the Potato Bags (Returns) Order, issued by the Food - Controller, all pesons owning potato bags, whether manufactured by themselves or not, -other than bags which will not- hold more than half a cwt., must furjish tho 'Food Controller on or before Octo- ber 29 with a return showing the bags owned by; them at the close of- business on October 22. The return must be made on a form which may -be obtained from'- the Secretary, Ministry of - Food, 14, Upper Grosvenor-street, W. 1. Anyone not ownimg more than 1,000 bags at the close of 1business on Octo- ber 15 is not required to comply with these provisions. The Liverpool Food ' Control Committee has adopted four alternative ' scales of mnaximum meat prices-to be operative for a fortnight. Iletail butchers must select under which scale they will sell.- NEW FOOD EC ONOMy CAMPAIGN. COMPOSITION OF LOCAL COMMITThES. ISUGGESTIONS BY LORD RHONDDA.