The fifth step in meeting the shipping shortage was to expand Government
control over the distribution of all the chief national supplies, partly
in order to secure that the best use was made of what was available and
partly in order to prevent waste. The most important measure in this
sphere was the creation of the Ministry of Food. Its first step was to
insure an adequate supply of breadstuffs. This was accomplished by
raising the percentage of milling of wheat, by requiring the dilution of
wheat with other cereals and by an increased program of imports. At the
same time a scale of voluntary rations was announced and an active
campaign was started in order to secure observance of them. The use of
wheat, oats, barley, and maize for animal food was also restricted or
prohibited. As a result, at the beginning of the Winter of 1917 the
national reserve of breadstuffs was in a more satisfactory position than
any time since the outbreak of war, the wheat stocks alone being
3,000,000 quarters in excess of the stocks in the corresponding period
of 1916. A serious shortage, however, in the French and Italian harvests
and the needs of our other allies placed a heavy demand upon our
supplies of wheat, and toward the end of the year considerable
quantities were diverted to their use. During the year the control of
the Ministry was extended to cover all imported foodstuffs, practically
all of which are now purchased on the national account, and an
increasing measure of control has been established over home-grown
cereals, meat, and dairy produce. In order to prevent the artificial
raising of prices through competition, these purchases are now carried
out in concert with our allies through inter-ally committees. As the
year progressed the need for greater economy in consumption than was
apparently attainable by voluntary means and the difficulties in
distributing equitably the restricted supplies compelled the
introduction of a system of rationing. The system began with sugar, and
at the end of the year was gradually being extended to cover other
staple foodstuffs.