30 JUNE 1917, Page 2

We gather from Mr. Prothero's remarks at Exeter on Friday

week that home-grown meat will soon be required for the Army abroad. That means a still further reduction of supply for the consumer at Wine. Is this the time, then, to encourage the consumer.to consume more ? If he is not rationed and finds the prices Agreeably low, ha will of -course buy more. That goes without saying–Simultaneously the producer, deprived of his inducements far enough to satisfy the anti-profiteer , will say that it does not pay him to produce food. The Daily Earns published an uproariously mad leading article on Wednesday in which it was argued that the consumer is everybody while those engaged in supply are only a few. The many therefore must have preference over the few. " The consumer is the Ministry's final and most important concern." What very simple and disas- trous logic I Yet it is typical of the arguments that inundate the country.