M3 ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY New York State Colleges OF Agriculture and Home Economics AT Cornell University Cornell University Library HD9014.C2A43 1918 Report of the Canada Food Board. Februar 3 1924 013 848 696 || Cornell University J Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/cletails/cu31924013848696 Report OF THE Canada Food Board February 11— Decemba- 31 1918 OTTAWA 355211 To His Excellency the Duke of Devonshire, K.G., P.C., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., etc., etc., Governor-General and Commander in Chief of the Dominion of Canada. I have the honour to lay before Your Excellency the Report of the Chairman of the Canada Food Board, up to the 1st January, 1919. I have the honour to be, sir, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, T. A. CRERAR Minister of Agriculture. Ottawa. Canada Food Board, Ottawa, January 27th, 1919. Dear Sir: I beg to submit herewith the report of the Canada Food Board during the past year. In order to give as complete a view as possible of the work it has been necessary to allude to the preliminary work under the guidance of the Food Controller. It is with great pleasure the Board records its appreciation of the excellent work done by the Voluntary Workers, Provincial Committees and many organizations of Canada, which, added to the untiring efforts of the women of Canada, have largely contri- buted to the carrying out of this all-important war work. To the Press of the country the Board conveys its thanks for the great amount of space contributed in disseminating useful information which encouraged increased production and conservation. The cost of operating the Board was more than covered by license fees and other sources of revenue, as shown in the appended financial statement. Acknowledgment should also be made of the enthusiastic work and loyal support of the staff of the Food Board, who have, without exception, given their very best energies and abilities to the work in hand. I have the honor to be. Sir, Your obedient servant, CANADA FOOD BOARD, Honorable T. A. Crerar, Chairman. Minister of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont. TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I. pages Letter of Transmittal General Report: Introductory 1 Formation of the Board 3 Canadian Policy 4 Supplies for the Allies 6 Non-wheaten Flours 6 Meats 7 Fish 8 Fats 9 Sugar 10 A Huge Task , 11 Prices and Profits 13 Control of Dairy Products 14 Cost of Bread Regulated 15 Sugar Was Steadied . . 15 Dealers' Profits 16 How Control was Maintained 17 Licensing 18 Enforcement of Orders 19 Preventing Waste 20 Good- Will of the Public 20 Loyal Press Backing 21 Greater Production Campaign 22 Tractors 24 Labor for Farms 25 Staff and Other Organizations 26 Finances 28 Conclusion 29 Sectional Reports: Part II. Financial Statement 33-37 Mail and Supplies 38 Licensing 39 Statistical 40 Bakers 41 Canners 42 Public Eating Houses 43 Fish 44 Fruit and Vegetables 47 Millers 48 Produce 50 Sugar and Confectionery 52 PAGES Import and Export 56 Solicitor's and Enforcement 57 Information and Conservation Publicity 61 Domestic Economy and Women's Work 63 "S.O.S." 65 Vacant Lot and Home Gardens 66 Part III. APPENDICES: 1. Inset of Staff Organization (Chart) 71 2. Cost of the Loaf (Chart) 72 3. Price of Milk (Chart) 73 4. Price of Butter (Chart) 74 5. Canadian Egg Prices (Chart) 75 6. Chronological Issue of Food Board Orders 76 7. Allied Buying in the Dominion 78 8. Retail Prices of Fish 78 9. Retail Prices of 17 Foods in Canada and the United States .... 80 10. Canadian Fanners' War Record 81 11. Canadian Markets During and After War 81 12. Cana'tPR Imports of Foodstuffs 82 13. Chief , . aadian Food Exports 84 14. Memoranda on Pamphlets and Posters 86 REPORT OF THE CANADA FOOD BOARD INTRODUCTORY CANADA'S objective in food control was to supply the maximum of exportable foodstuffs to our Empire and the Allies during war. The steps successively taken by the Canada Food Board to attain this end are shown as briefly and clearly as possible in the following review of work for the year 1918. The sectional activities of the Board are given in more detail in the departmental reports and in the appendices at the end. A year ago food control in the Dominion was in a transi- tion stage. Several months of valuable preparatory work had been done under the then Food Controller. This work had not to be redone; it was a solid foundation upon which the later structure could be built. The general principles of control of foodstuffs had been determined. Licensing of dealers had been decided upon and partly put into practice. Control of profits made by firms dealing in foodstuffs had already been started, and some regulations had been made. This work was adequately reviewed at the time. With the material then gathered, rapid progress was possible in the earlier months of 1918. Not only in the Dominion, but throughout the whole of the Allied countries, 1918 was the year in which food as a war factor was proved to be only less mighty than were munitions. The seriousness of the Allied food situation at the beginning of 1918 cannot be too much accentuated. The late Lord Rhondda, British Minister of Food, in a message especially addressed to the people of Canada and the United States, said specifically: — "The food position of this country and, I understand, in France also, can, without exaggeration, be described as critical and anxious." It was the period in which compulsory rationing was being introduced into Great Britain, and for many months 1 afterwards the conditions defined by Lord Rhondda remained practically unchanged. In France the situation was one of even more gravity. The French Minister of Food announced that, at the end of December, 1917, there remained only enough wheat and flour in the country to supply the civilian population for three days — literally a case of their living from hand to mouth. The difficulties of framing regulations which would apply all over the Dominion can be appreciated when one considers the area of the Dominion, which is as great as Europe without Russia, and the diversity of conditions of climate and of the densely populated areas such as Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg, contrasted with the sparse settlements of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Food control at the beginning of 1918 was everywhere a new knowledge; scarcely more than its rudiments had been learned. In the unknown problem of supplying food on an unprecedented scale to armies of fighting men numbering millions, to munition workers even more numerous, and to civilian popu- lations behind both these classes to be numbered only by tens of millions, the Dominion authorities had looked for inspiration and guidance from outside. Canada had, naturally enough, taking the precedent of our military organization, turned to the Motherland for her model and her information. It soon became apparent that the food problem on the other side of the Atlantic was wholly different from that confronting the Dominion. For Great Britain just then the crux of the proposition lay in the ability of her incom- parable Navy to keep trade routes open for imports. But in Canada there was more than enough food for our own popula- tion. Our objectives were to increase our supplies of foodstuffs by stimulating production and by more conservation, so that each month would see an addition to the exportable surplus. In the United States conditions appeared to be more analogous to our own, and it was thought the adoption of their food control methods would prove satisfactory and adequate. Yet on in- vestigation it became evident that sotaething different from both American and European methods would have to be undertaken, and hence a distinctively Canadian system was developed. While it became evident that a distinct Canadian Food policy was necessary it was nevertheless vital that a close co- operation be maintained with bodies representing the Allied Food Control overseas and especially with the United States Food Administration. The following pages will show how the work of the Board was co-ordinated with these in the common aim of supplying the largest possible amount of food to the European Allies from this side of the Atlantic. In this connec- tion the Board gratefully acknowledges the help given by Sir Wm. Goode, liason officer of the British Ministry of Food, and Mr. Wm. F. Fisher, in charge of Canadian Relations, United States Food Administration. FORMATION OF THE BOARD On January 24th the Honorable W. J. Hanna, K.C., Toronto, who, since June 21st, 1917, had been Food Controller, resigned, and was succeeded by Mr. Henry B. Thomson, Vic- toria, B.C. On February 11th a change in designation and form of the authority was made. The Canada Food Board was created and vested with all the powers of the Food Controller. The new Board was directed to report to the Governor-General in Council through the Minister of Agriculture. The personnel of the Board nominated and the assignment of duties were as follows: Chairman of the Board and Director of Food Conservation.Mr. Henry B. Thomson. Director of Food Production. . . .Hon. Chas. A. Dunning, M.P.P., Regina. Director of Agricultural Labor .. Mr. J. D. McGregor, Bran- don. Secretary . Mr. S. E. Todd. When, in virtue of the War Measures Act, 1914, the office of Food Controller had been formed by Order-in-Council 1460, June 16th, 1917, the main powers conferred were designed: — (1) To ascertain the food requirements of Canada and to facilitate the export of the surplus to Great Britain and her Allies. (2) To make regulations in the public interest govern- ing the price of articles of food, storage, distribution, sale and delivery; to provide for conservation of food and pre- vention of waste; to govern the manufacture, preparation, etc., of foods. (3) To permit all powers and duties of the Food Con- troller to be exercised independently or in co-operation with other departments of the Dominion, the provinces or of Great Britain and her Allies: powers not to include or interfere with those previously granted to the Board of Grain Supervisors for Canada; expenses to be paid out of the War Appropriation Fund, 1917. When, by Order-in-Council P.C. 344, February 11th, 1918, the Canada Food Board was created, all powers vested in the Food Controller were transferred, and, in addition, it was ordered that the Board : — "Shall generally direct the production, conservation and distribution of foodstuffs in the interests of Canada and the other British dominions, as well as the Allied nations." CANADIAN POLICY The middle way in food control was almost invariably followed. Rationing under Canadian conditions was inadvisable, as with the Dominion's vast area, sparse population and diversi- fied conditions it would have proved ineffective, and the results of the effort and energy expended in this method of control would have been infinitesimal in comparison with the results to be secured by the same forces directed to increased production of foodstuffs and voluntary saving. Moreover, Canadians would have had to pay ten to twelve million dollars annually to meet the cost of an equitable rationing system as carried out in Europe. Compulsory measures were adopted to regulate the distribution of commodities in what might be called their bulk state, but as food products found their way from stage to stage, control gradually and necessarily lessened, and was replaced by measures to secure widely spread voluntary conservation by consumers. The method which interfered least with personal freedom was the restriction of sale of food by dealers. This left the patriotic consumer free from needless disturbance of family life, while the less patriotic were controlled by an informed public opinion supported by anti-hoarding orders and other regula- tions. The British system of food conservation became almost entirely mandatory, the American chiefly voluntary. The joining of the mandatory with the voluntary method coristituted the distinctive character of food control in Canada. A DOUBLE SYSTEM.— The working of the double system was seen in the fact that while the sale of sugar in bulk to dealers without certificates was prohibited by order, conserva- tion by families was secured by loyal voluntarism. Restrictions in the use of beef and pork in restaurants on specific days was carried out under compulsion, but the request to the private family depended for effectiveness on an appeal to patriotism. Control over supphes was exercised also through governing the character of saleable food. The composition of standard flour and of bakers' bread with other non-wheaten flours gives instances. SUPPLIES FOR THE ALLIES Tb understand the trend of wartime food it is necessary to have a clear conception of what was required by the Allied warring nations. Four classes of foodstuffs were found to be essential: — 1. Wheat 2. Meats 3. Fats 4. Sugar WHEAT AND FLOUR SUPPLY.— A year ago out of the seven chief wheat producing countries of the world Russia and Rumania could not be reached for Allied supply because of enemy activity. India, Australia and Argentina were so distant that, with shipping crippled by submarine sinkings, their crops could not be transported to Europe. Therefore there remained within the Empire only Canada to which the Motherland could turn for large quantities of wheat. Millers were ordered to extend the milling "extraction." In non-technical language this meant using a larger part of the wheat berry for human food. Thus more breadstuffs were got out of the same bushel of wheat and the quantity of millers' offal was correspondingly reduced. By this means millions of bushels were added to the export- able surplus. The Canadian problem was materially to extend an already existing surplus over domestic needs, to skimp and pare where there appeared to be abundance. Mill-saved grain was not permitted, figuratively, to go down the ordinary channels 5 to the home markets. On the contrary, it was sent straight to the Atlantic seaboard. In April the "extraction," which had been fixed at seventy- four per cent, was raised to seventy-six per cent. This was part of the plan first called conservation, but which later was more heartily supported under its simpler Anglo-Saxon term of food- saving. By the fall even children in the Dominion knew what was meant by saving food to share it with the soldiers and the Allies. As the war wore on it was realized that even more stringent regulations would have to be made. The necessity for transporting American troops in large numbers throughout April, May, June and July had taken away still more tonnage from the longer food routes. How limited were the food supplies of the United Kingdom then has since been told by Mr. Lloyd George. Canada was not merely the nearest British country to the heart of the Empire, but one ship engaged in the Canadian trade was worth two on the longer voyage to Argentina, and worth three or four on the Australasian and Indian routes. The problem was one of wheat plus shipping. NON-WHEATEN FLOURS.— The factresulted in a decision to use wheat flour substitutes in Canada. An immediate diffi- culty was met in the fact that in normal times the Dominion was largely a one grain land. Wheat had for years been so abundant, so cheap and so good that other cereals were used for human food in a very small way. Barley, oats, rye and buckwheat were the main non-wheaten grains. The stocks of these in 1918 were small, widely distributed and difficult to obtain. In addi- tion, people did not know how to use the flours of barley, oats, rye and buckwheat. The Bakery, Domestic Science and Infor- mation Sections devoted much attention to making ways and means for the use of these better known, and it was a relief in a very difficult position when the signing of the armistice made the cancellation of the substitute order possible. Purchases of wheat and flour and arrangements for financing and transporting these overseas were within the activities of the Wheat Export Company. The domestic policy which actuated the Board might, in a word, be said to consist in directing the wheat supply from the farmer to the consumer's table. MEATS. — It is impossible in considering control of meats in Canada to dissociate from it greater production of livestock on farms. A consideration of what would be wanted in Europe as the result of the tremendous depletion of food and food-supply- ing animals led early to the conclusion that a long-sighted policy alone would meet the case. In 1916 the value of animal products throughout the Dominion was estimated at $111,331,000; in 1917 $157,415,000; and in the fiscal year 1918 at $163,488,000. These figures show the steady rise in value of our farm animals during three war years. The number of food animals on Canadian farms also shows an important increase, especially noteworthy as having taken place during war. In 1914 the number of milk cows was estimated at 2,673,000, and in the fall of 1918 at 3,324,000; other cattle in the same period rose from 3,363,000 to 6,507,000; sheep from 2,058,000 to 3,037,000, while hogs advanced from 3,434,000 to 4,289,000. Simultaneously with the large increase in exports of beef and pork there was a domestic development that, especially now at the opening of the world's reconstructive period, will be of tremendous monetary value to the Dominion. By prohibiting export of feed and by facilitating the importation of special feeds the Board and the Dominion Department of Agriculture, working through the Provincial Departments of Agriculture, did everything possible to encourage the raising of farm stock. The following are the values and quantities of beef and pork, respectively, exported during 1918; — BEEF Lbs. Value 102,537,528, fresh $ 21,341,875 873,529, pickled 170,570 BACON 64,402,615 $ 20,661,270 HAM 1,792,548 I 512,318 PICKLED PORK 34,193,433 $ 10,951,592 FRESH PORK 1,214,843 $ 291,338 Perhaps the chief factor which controlled meat supplies being sent overseas was the provision of refrigerator space for the trans-Atlantic voyage — a matter over which the Food Board had no power. Early in the year the co-operation of the Canadian Railway Commission was sought to enable the supplies of beef and pork, as well as of wheat from the West, to be transported promptly to the seaboard. Every assistance was given, and it is a satis- faction to know that there was no instance of delay not attri- butable to stress of weather. In this connection it is well to explain a circumstance that was little understood at the time. It was only through the accu- mulation of stocks of food called the "food reserve," that it was possible to divert so many ships during the spring and summer for the transport of American troops across the Atlantic. When the ships were actually being used for the conveyance of troops, it was natural that these vast quantities of food, as the flow to the seaboard could not be interrupted, should be piled up at Atlantic ports. They were accumulating awaiting tonnage. There was some criticism at the time in Canada by those who saw this accumulation and fancied that the stores should have been used to reduce the prices of foods in Canada. But this was short-sighted. Of the actual control of meg,ts within the Dominion it is difficult to speak with the clear-cut definition possible for wheat supplies. The first step after the general adoption of a beefless day was the control of packing house firms, as the centre through which Canadian meat supplies all passed. They were regulated with regard to profits by a special Order-in-Council. Their books and reports were, in March, made subject to inspection by the Minister of Finance. On May 3rd an order of the Food Board brought under license practically everybody who slaughtered livestock. During the earlier months of the year a campaign of pub- licity was arranged to draw attention to the opening for pork products abroad. Orders were passed by which beef, veal and pork were permitted to be seiVed in public eating places only at meals and were wholly prohibited on Wednesdays and Fridays. FISH. — One of the most interesting chapters in food control in Canada deals with fish supply and consumption. Since July, 8 1917, propaganda has increased the consumption of fish within Canada fully one hundred per cent. Export of Western lake fish has been cut down from eighty-five per cent to fifty per cent — the difference being consumed at home. An entirely new fishery has been established on the Pacific Coast, and two steam trawlers are now engaged in fishing for flat fish and cods. Half a million pounds a month of these excellent fish are now being marketed. The Atlantic steam trawling fleet was increased from three to five vessels. Haddock, cod, mackerel and herring were popularized on the Ontario market, and are now staple lines in good demand. Over seventeen hundred wholesale fish dealers and twenty-six hundred retailers are under license by the Board. A variety of sea fish at reasonable prices is now to be found even in country towns. On National Fish Day, October 31st, 1918, Montreal and Toronto consumed 577,400 pounds of fish, and it is estimated that roundly 2,500,000 pounds were used on that day alone in the Dominion. This work has led to a vast development of one of the country's greatest natural resources. It also had the immediate effect of saving large quantities of meat for shipment overseas. It is permissible to assume that the new lines of fishing will become firmly established industries, not only on the Pacific, but on the Atlantic. When the supply of fish for home consumption and the general success which was secured are compared with what had to be accepted in the United States — where very early an elabo- rate publicity plan for popularizing fish had to be abandoned — the Food Board has every reason to be satisfied with results in the war-time fishing industry. FATS. — The sub-division of food which, during food control, came to be known by the simple name of fats, rather than by the old general trade names, affected our shipments of pork, beef, lard, butter, cheese and milk. For instance, the fat content of pork and beef — and pork fat was one of the chief needs of the Allied armies — cannot be estimated and must be included in round figures within our exports of these two commodities. That they were considerable, however, is obvious from the gen- erally accepted opinion of dietitians and food experts that bacon contains as high as seventy per cent of the fats most requisite for human energy. Comparisons of exports for three typical periods, one pre-war and two war yeaj"s, show how vast the change was: — April-Dec. Article 1913 1916 1918 Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Butter 828,323 3^441,183 9,844,721 Cheese 155,216,392 168,961,583 148,732,418 Lard . . . 46,638 24,998 136,727 Bacon 36,212,190 144,918,867 64,402,615 Beef 1,570,979 47,422,564 103,411,057 Canned Meats . 254,937 11,031,893 8,103,129 Ham . . . 2,476,654 8,732,857 1,792,548 Pork 521,533 13,142,196 35,408,176 Milk and Cream (canned, etc.) 335,849 13,247,834 42,476,726 One instance in the control of fat in its most palatable form may be noted. When in September the stock of butter in Great Britain fell abnormally short, and it was found impossible to maintain even the small weekly ration of one ounce a head, arrangemerHts werfe made to secure for shipment the whole butter output of Canadian creameries for five weeks. In this way over six and a half million pounds of butter were exported, and the British Minister of Food was able to state in a letter of thanks to Sir Robert Borden that the maintenance of a one ounce ration was attributable solely to the quick action taken in the Dominion. Meanwhile there were 25,000,000 pounds of butter in cold storage which, having been purchased at the market figure, could not, under the controlled system of profits, be sold at undue advance in price. Thus, by one move, an emergency call from the Mother Country was met without causing an appre- ciable rise in prices at home. SUGAR. — Sugar formed a different problem from the three other main foodstuffs. More than in those articles of diet the difficulty was that of equal distribution. Its strictest regulation was only necessary during a few months, yet during that time it took the form of the most intensive control of any one food. The nearest approach to rationing was made in the sugar dis- tribution. 10 The sharing of the world's available supply of sugar among the Allies was one of the great food difficulties of the war. The great bulk of the raw sugar was imported. The Allied nations had to find an adequate method whereby they could equitably share with one another the available supplies. For Canada, this was accomplished by the establishment of the International Sugar Commission of New York, on which the British Govern- ment had a representative. It was not possible to have a Canadian representative, because Britain would then have had greater representation than the other nations. Nevertheless, it was necessary to have someone to represent Canadian interests. In November, 1917, there was instituted a sugar division of Canadian food control and a New York representative was appointed who advised on available supplies. He was also charged with the exceedingly difficult task of equitably dividing supplies allocated to Canada among the sugar refineries in Canada. The plan that the International Sugar Commision followed was, briefly: — First, they made a survey of the world's supplies. These, during the year of 1918, were confined almost entirely to the Western Hemisphere, as the supplies in the East Indies and other sugar producing countries were taken. Allocations were then made to Great Britain, France, Belgium and Italy; quan- tities were set aside for neutral countries, and the remainder was divided between Canada and the United States. Our domestic problem resolved itself into dividing this supply among the various sugar refineries, and afterwards establishing a system of distribution and control of consumption which would spread the available total as equitably as possible, having regard to the vital character of the use made of sugar. The first survey of the International Sugar Commission was made in March, 1918. By May 1 regulations had been put into force in Canada designed to meet the situation. About the middle of June, however, the International Sugar Commission found it necessary to make a complete re-survey. When this was accomplished it was calculated that, owing to many new condi- tions, there was a total shortage of sugar of about one million tons. It became imperative to re-allocate, and by July 15th the Sugar Division of the Food Board had new orders in force to meet the changed situation. Rigorous control of all manufacturers and public eating places was instituted, with a system of distribution to wholesalers and retailers which, on the whole, proved eminently successful. 11 Had it been possible when the International Sugar Commission made the first survey to have gauged the situation correctly the problem in Canada would have been much easier. As it was, the work was accomplished under tremendous pressure and under difl&culties which it was impossible for the public then to appreciate. One of the marked features of this work was the co- operation of the sugar consuming trades and their loyal accept- ance of the regulations. The sugar representative at New York had, from time to time, to assume the responsibility of accepting for Canadian refineries quantities of sugar as they became available and to arrange for a guarantee of purchase of the total or part of a crop of some of the producing countries. The Commission was besides faced with the tremendous task of finding shipping tonnage, and many times every available port was scoured for transportation. Even when sugar was landed, port and railway embargoes and many other obstructions to its finail transporta- tion had to be oversome. The whole problem of sugar supply and control has been one of the most strenuous and, considering the almost insuper- able difficulties, one of the most successful of Canada's domestic war-time food efforts. The price of raw sugar and the quantity available for Canada were at no time within the control of the Food Board. AN ASSESSMENT OF SUGAR STOCKS.— The Inter- Allied Sugar Purchasing Committee and the Royal Sugar Com- mission, representing Great Britain, the United States, France and Italy, when arranging to purchase the 1918-19 crop of raw sugar, found it necessary to increase the price to the producers. This meant an increase in price of refined sugar. As some of the Canadian refineries had considerable stocks of old-crop sugar purchased through the Commission at a lower price, and as other refineries had very small stocks of old-crop sugar — some in fact, not having any old-crop whatever — the refineries requested the Food Board to approve an increase in refined sugar, effective from the date first deliveries of new-crop sugars would be made. The Board, realizing the difficulties, gave permission with the understanding that the Board would make an assess- ment on refineries, covering the increased value of old-crop "raws." The difference between the new product and the old was exactly 90 cents per 100 pounds of raw sugar. 12 It was necessary to figure this assessment on raw sugars. On November 16th, refineries were required to take stock of the quantity on hand of old-crop refined sugar and old-crop raw sugar. The assessment, based on the increase, $124,614.33, was collected by the Board and deposited to the credit of the Receiver General. A HUGE TASK.— Possibly the best conception of Canada's effort to back up the Alhes with food is obtained from a state- ment of the value of foodstuffs exported while war continued. The totals for fiscal years were — 1914-15— $187,011,300. 1915-16— 332,455,900. 1916-17— 482,619,400. 1917-18— 710,619,400. The values of the three chief sub-divisions of Canadian food products show a growth which should have a lasting effect upon national prosperity and especially upon the development of its agriculture. The periods covered in the table below are the twelve months ending September in each year: — Fisheries $ 23,274,772 $ 24,993,156 $ 33,670,846 Animal Products. . . 111,331,332 157,415,287 163,488,362 Agricultural Products 396,455,537 427,927,335 440,744,430 $ 531,061,641 $610,335,778 $637,903,638 PRICES AND PROFITS At the time the Board was inaugurated the Government had already taken action under Order-in-Council P.C. 2461, Novem- ber, 1916, to create machinery through the Minister of Labor for the investigation, especially, of retail prices obtaining in any community and for the control of profiteering. From time to time this order was improved, and is now known as P.C. 3069, "Fair Price Commission," action along its lines to be initiated by the municipalities. As Canada is essentially an exporting country, domestic prices for producers and manufacturers of food are controlled by the export market. Any control of prices or profits, conse- quently, had to be worked out in co-operation with the export 13 buyers. Just previous to the organization of the Board the various AUied Governments had pooled their buying under one organization, known as the Allied Provisions Export Commission, with which was associated the British Government Wheat Export Company and the Dairy Produce Commission of Canada, both formed previously. The main cause of the tremendous rise in prices that occurred was the increasing scarcity of supplies available to the Allied nations, and the wild bidding that occurred for these when each country was competing separately for supplies. The Food Controller found that control of prices in Canada was absolutely impracticable until the Allied Governments had unified their methods of purchase. , An illustration of this was afforded when a purchase was made by the French Government of a commodity at a price considerably in advance of the then ruling price. This purchase, made without consultation with the Canada Food Board, at once affected the price of the domestic supply. The order was a large one, and had the Food Board at that time attempted to fix a price for the home market the effect of such an order would have been to drive the product into a foreign channel, and temporarily, at least, to withdraw the product from the Canadian market. Because of war conditions information of this character was not at the time made public, although now per- missible. The unification of the methods of purchase stabilized the export market and, as a consequence, the domestic market also, and tended to increase the available supply both for export and home consumption by securing a steady flow at known prices. An interesting comparison of the cost of staple foods in sixty Canadian cities, compared with forty cities in the United States, compiled from data furnished by the Labor Departments in both countries, given in the appendices, shows Canadian prices to have been 10 per cent lower than those in the United States. CONTROL OF DAIRY PRODUCTS.— As a further illus- tration, in 1917 the British Government fixed a price for Canadian cheese, but did not fix any price for butter or condensed milk. The result was that as the need for condensed milk increased, the price rose with great rapidity, and not only interfered with the supplies of milk for the manufacture of cheese and butter, 14 but seriously disturbed the fresh milk market for Canadian cities. With the proper organization of the export market, it became possible to control the domestic market through normal lines of regulation — that is, the price paid for export. The Dairy Produce Commission and the Allied Provisions Export Commission together worked out a schedule of prices that would be paid in Canada for cheese, butter and condensed, evaporated and powdered milk for export. This stabilized milk prices in Canada. * * * * FLOUR REGULATIONS.— During May, 1917, the price of flour rose to over $15.00 per barrel. As soon as the Board of Grain Supervisors had fixed the price for the 1917 wheat crop an agreement was reached with the millers that their profits should not exceed twenty-five cents per barrel of flour, with sixty cents allowed for cost of manufacture. On this basis the price paid for flour by the Wheat Export Company was worked out from time to time, and domestic prices were based on these figures. The same principles were applied to the 1918 wheat crop, and the price of flour to the consumer was controlled. CONTROL OF PRICE OF BREAD.— The price of bread was also directly controlled. The Cost of Living Commissioner, in co-operation with the Board, enforced by the license system for bakers, secured monthly costs of production of bread, based on the known prices of flour and other factors. These costs were published from time to time, and showed that the profits being made by bakers were at all times reasonable. Whenever a movement to increase the price of bread occurred in any part of the country steps were taken to investigate the necessity for it. This strict control has maintained the price of bread in Canada at a rate markedly lower than in the United States. Thus, while no prices were actually "fixed" for any of these products, the domestic prices based on 1;he agreed price for export were at all times directly influenced by the Food Board. SUGAR WAS STEADIED.— The same methods of control were exercised in regard to prices payable for sugar. When sugar became scarce in 1917 the retail price in many places jumped to 15 fifteen cents a pound. Action was immediately taken and retail dealers were warned that the price must not exceed ten to eleven cents a pound. This control was continued throughout 1918 by the Board and the price maintained at a fair margin over cost. Any increase in pricQ that occurred was based on such factors as a rise in price of raw sugar and freight rate adjustments. Had it not been for this control consumers during the great scarcity in the fall would have paid at least twenty cents a pound. Thus, again, while the greatly complicated work and heavy expense of fixing prices to meet a multitude of rapidly varying conditions were avoided, control of the price to Canadian consumers was steadily maintained. DEALERS' PROFITS.— Dealers' profits were regulated through a number of orders. Order No. 9 fixed the maximum "spread" chargeable by distributors of fresh milk in cities. Order No. 45 fixed the profits that might be taken by wholesale dealers on butter, cheese, eggs, meats, oleomargarine and lard. Various orders and agreements with the trade regulated the price of fish so that this food became one of the cheapest available in any country. Prices of bran and shorts and the profits of dealers were also fixed, thus giving the producer the means of producing milk at as low cost as possible. Results of regulation of prices are such that todaybread, milk, butter, cheese and fish are mark- edly lower in Canada than in the United States, or elsewhere in Allied countries where subsidizing has not been practised. The price of grains entering into the production of foodstuffs was not under the control of the Canada Food Board. Control of profits on invested capital presents an altogether different problem from the control of prices. A very large profit may be made upon the capital invested by individual manufactiu-ers or dealers in staple food products as a result of turnover, but the entire elimination of such profit in many cases would not affect the retail prices of these commodities. For instance, if the profit of twenty-five cents per barrel of flour had been eliminated and the millers had manufactured at cost it would not have affected the price of bread. The average Cana- dian cosumers about one barrel of flour a year. About 250 pounds of bread are made from a barrel of flour; therefore, this twenty- five cents distributed over the pounds of food products from a barrel of flour would have been one-tenth of a cent per pound. This could not be reckoned in price control. It would have been 16 a matter of taking the profit from the miller and giving it to the baker. On the other hand, on account of the difference in manufacturing conditions, costs varied widely and it was neces- sary to allow sufficient profit to enable enough mills in Canada to produce the flour required. Out of this number some mills, because of advantages arising from location and the efficiency of their management, were able to make a considerable profit on the invested capital. The consideration of public policy involved in such profits opens up, if at all, another question which comes within the domain of taxation. THREE MEANS OF CONTROL The means employed to secure the control of war foods may be re-stated thus: — 1. Direct purchase and export by Allied Government representatives. 2. Licensing of all dealers at home and their regulation by order issued direct by the Board with personal respon- sibility on the part of the licensee. 3. Import and export permits regulating incoming or outgoing commodities not governed by the purchases of Allied Governments. HOW CONTROL WAS MAINTAINED.— From a con- te-oUing point of view, food soon di\aded itself into three broad classes: — First, there was that produced in excess of our own re- quirements, which was bought by the various buying com- missions of Allied countries for governmental use, and which was sent overseas with as little delay as could be; this included wheat, meats and fats. This food, once brought together at the elevators or packing houses, went with little deviation to the seaboard, and next to munition orders formed the mainstay of Canadian trade and prosperity during the four and a quarter years of the war. No export permit for this was required by the Food Board. The second class of food was that for our domestic consumption, whose distribution was controlled by license. The third class was that exported to private firms or persons in Allied or friendly countries, as distinct from 17 government purchase. The last named came within the scope of the Import and Export Division of the Food Board. LICENSING.— The prime instrument of compulsory control of domestic trade was the issuance of licenses without which trading in foodstuffs was prohibited. This control steadied prices and equalized distribution. Home supply in every district throughout 1918 was plentiful, yet the quantities of foodstuffs exported showed a remarkable increase. By December 31st, 1918, 78,016 licenses had been issued. Exports and imports were controlled by a system of "Permits." No one could ship abroad nor receive foreign foods without written permission. This system was established in November, 1917, and up to December 31st there had been issued 12,137 import permits and 14,751 export permits. The ideas underlying licensing were to make regulations easier through securing the direction of supplies from the producer down to the consumer's table; to carry out orders for the pre- vention of excessive profits; to prevent re-duplicating transactions and thus securing a more even flow of distribution; to keep the dealers in food on good behavior under penalties of forfeiture of license; and to protect the small dealers in carrying out orders from being unfairly handicapped by larger and more favorable placed competitors. A large office organization and the machin- ery for such a novel procedure had to be made with careful fore-consideration. In the fall the Board had the satisfaction of knowing that not only were practically nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand dealers, other than direct producers like farmers and market gardeners, under license, but that the system was working admirably. Licensing presented a delicate piece of social machinery. Not the least important part was the unexpectedly prompt way in which the machine, so to speak, responded to its guiding lever. Under direction centralized at Ottawa, orders restricting the sale and use of foods from coast to coast could be made effective within a few hours. On the whole, there was little opposition to the license in principle; the only suggestions made were for its improvement in practice, and these were, when found suitable, adopted by the Board. It must be recognized that the licensees showed splendid co-operation. The best proof that the 18 licensing system succeeded is found in the fact that there is frequent reference to its benefit in the correspondence of licensees. By the system it was found possible to meet and even to antic- ipate trade difficulties and to encourage such foresight as would tend to better methods of production and preparation of foods. ENFORCEMENT OF ORDERS Altogether up to November 11th 70 orders were issued. Subsequent orders have been chiefly revokations. This is not a large number considering that in the first three months of 1918 alone over 130 orders were issued by the British Ministry of Food. It became necessary early in the spring to establish a section of the Board for the purpose of enforcing the Orders. Action taken by provincial and municipal authorities was neither prompt enough nor drastic enough to prevent infractions. In- spectors of public eating houses had been appointed, and through their reports it was possible to bring about a reduction in the number of glaring instances of disregard of orders. A consider- able stafi of inspectors was appointed, whose duty it was to watch for and prosecute infringements of the regulations in public eating places, cold storage, wholesale and retail businesses, railway warehouses and other places where food was dealt with in bulk. Their work did not supplant that of provincial authorities. Indeed, it only supplemented it, for the endeavor of the Board in each case was to get the local authorities to undertake the enforcement of any order and the prevention of infringement. To enable this to be done by each municipality a clause was inserted in practicallj'^ every order empowering the Police to bring summary proceedings before a Police Magistrate or two Justices of the Peace when it was believed that food orders were being ignored. On conviction, penalties could be imposed up to $1,000, with an alternative of imprisonment not exceeding three months, or of both fine and imprisonment. To encourage this procedure being undertaken by munici- palities the clause made the payment of the fine due to the local authority. Where these means, however, failed the Food Board had to adopt the more drastic method of suspension of license, done 19 directly through the central office at Ottawa on evidence sub- mitted and investigated by the local inspectors. They generally had the effect desired, for as time went on open, flagrant violation of the regulations grew rare. It was not possible for the Board, by the limitation of the powers conferred under The War Measures Act, to impose " gilded " fines in the form of compulsory contributions to the Red Cross or other funds. Yet the Board did not fail to secure the control it desired. The following telegraphic correspondence is typical of the brief but non-spectacular way in which the greater part of the Board's business was carried out: — "Ottawa, November 9, 1917. "Unless you at once reduce retail price of sugar to normal and advise by wire what price will be this office will take necessary action to stop further supplies of sugar being delivered to you. Wire reply." "Toronto, Ont., Nov. 10, 1917. "Have very little sugar to offer to comply with your wishes. Have reduced my price to 11 cents a pound." PREVENTING WASTE.— An Order-in-Council in Decem- ber, 1917, authorized the Food Controller to deal with carloads of foodstuffs held at their destination for a period of longer than four days. Previously foodstuffs were frequently permitted either to deteriorate or become a total loss while the grievances of the interested parties were being adjusted. Whenever it was found necessary to seize foodstuffs they were sold at the order of the Board. On April 5th the Board was empowered to take any measure necessary to prevent, as far as practicable, loss or deterioration in foodstuffs. Approximately 1,500 cars of foodstuffs were dealt with, made up of the following: Potatoes, onions, beans, corn, wheat, molasses, fruits of all kinds, macaroni, canned goods, coffee, raisins, butter, cheese, breakfast foods and malted milk. GOOD-WILL OF THE PUBLIC— Another class of con- trol, intangible and hard to define, was the voluntary aid of the 20 Canadian people and more especially of the Canadian women. How to estimate that aid would probably be the hardest task in this report. The service was so immeasurable that it cannot be more than alluded to with gratitude and pride in such a review as this. It was the pivot on which turned that successful voluntarism which has been so marked a feature of food control in Canada. Active workers in every locality were reached directly by the Board through a mailing list, which at the close of the year numbered 45,000 names. They were distributed through the whole of the provinces. The publications of food laws and suggestions for work were forwarded to these workers. LOYAL PRESS BACKING.— In order to reach the public at large the Board had to rely upon widely extended publicity, which was possible only through the ready way in which the Press gave prominence to food subjects. Not merely were items of news, such as the issuance of orders and rules, given news space, but informative articles, specially written by a staff of writers engaged in studying the rapidly changing conditions, were_ prepared by the Information and Conservation Publicity Sections and published in hundreds of newspapers, magazines and periodicals from coast to coast. When the perception became general that no price fixing could win a victory the field was cleared of objections. Throughout the campaign for greater farm production the Press stood loyally by. Any criticism which found expression was usually on some local difficulty. These criticisms when seen in proper perspective only touched the fringe of things. The especial services of the Canadian Press, Limited, in telegraphing the Board's news items should be placed on record. MANY ORGANIZATIONS ENLISTED.— Much benefit was found through the establishment of Provincial Committees. These were formed within the first three months of 1918. They were both advisory and executive in character. They studied the local needs in food conditions and fm-nished the infomiation on which the Board, after consideration, acted in framing its orders. 21 A notable part of the provincial system was the lead it gave to public opinion. Most of the important as well as the routine work of replying to local inquiries about food rulings had to be carried out by the Committees. The general supervision of work in the province fell within their scope. In New Brunswick voluntary rationing had been put into practice some weeks before the armistice was signed, and plans were so advanced in Nova Scotia and Alberta as to be already printed. In Ontario the place of a Provincial Committee was taken by the Organization of Resources Committee. During the spring and early summer much was done to enlist the aid of the churches and the clergy of all denominations in the Dominion. So far as it was possible, every minister in charge of a church was requested to bring the importance of food in its bearing on the war plainly before his congregation. So far as could be recorded the movement was taken up with much enthusiasm from coast to coast and in every province without exception. The cumulative effect of these steps cannot well be estimated, but it is certain thiat from the time the move- ment among the clergy was initiated to supplement the work in the Press of popularizing reasons for food control in Canada, there was a marked increase in public readiness to carry out the Board's Orders with promptitude and thoroughness. The churches unquestionably proved one of the most potent means of influencing Canadian public opinion. In a Section of the Board formed to work among commercial travellers also good results were observable, and 8,000 travellers were enrolled by means of personal cards as active co-workers with the Board. They gave invaluable information on local conditions, and by their proverbial ability to talk brought the necessity for carrsring out Food Board Orders before hotel-keepers and their customers in parts of provinces which otherwise would have been difficult to reach. The correspondence on the files of the Board shows that commercial travellers took an energetic and intelligent interest in helping to control foodstuffs in hotels and other public places. GREATER PRODUCTION CAMPAIGN The added acreage of farm land tilled, the improved methods of farming and the adoption of new ways of meeting labor prob- 22 lems through local arrangements, and an enhanced appreciation generally of agricultural life, will, as a result of the Greater Production Campaign, have an effect upon our national agricul- ture in the coming years. A special word of recognition of the part taken by farmers in the war features of food should be uttered. There was not the same inducement to tlie farmer, largely acting alone, to rhange his methods so as to increase his acreage and, if possible, nis production, as there was, for instance, in the case of a muni- tion manufacturer who was sure before he installed his plant and equipment of the prices he would receive for his products and knew the cost of operating his factory. The farmer, naturally less able in any case to forecast results and uncertain of food prices except in case of wheat, had to take what appeared at the beginning of 1918 to be a "long chance" in prices. The results of the harvest, however, show that the energy and ability which the farmers almost without exception put into their work were beyond praise and will stand as an historical record of incontestable patriotism. This work was carried out in conjunction with the Dominion Department of Agriculture, working through the Provincial Departments. During the fall of 1917 attention was directed to the necessity for a still greater increase in farm production. Plans were completed for increased breeding of hogs. Not only were farmers encouraged to add to their pens, but the services of the boys of the country were enlisted in the formation of pig clubs. Everything was done to facilitate the winter feed problem. In March a campaign was conducted to increase the number of trees tapped for maple syrup to supplement our sugar supply. In April back-yard and vacant lot gardening schemes throughout the Dominion were encouraged, and it was estimated that the production of vegetables through this source alone was at least doubled. The movement extended to every farm and into every village and hamlet. Throughout the sowing season public opinion was directed towards encouraging the farmer to increase the acreage of tilled crops. This work was under the direction of the Western members of the Board, Mr. J. D. McGregor and the Hon. C. A. Dunning. In the Eastern Provinces the work was organized chiefly by Dr. Jas. W. Robertson. In the East where it was impossible commercially to grow wheat farmers were asked to increase the acreage of other grains. 23 The following table from the Bureau of Statistics shows how ef- fectively the acreages of these grains, as well as of root crops, were increased over 1917: Wheat Oats Barley Rye Peas Beans . . . . Buckwheat. Flax Mixed Grains Corn for Husking 1918 1917 Acres . Acres 17,353 902 14,755,850 14,790,330 13,313,400 3,153,811 2,392,200 555,294 211,880 235,976 198,881 228,577 92,457 548,097 395,977 921,826 919,500 1,068,120 497,236 250,000 234,339 TRACTORS. — ^An important contribution to production was the an-angement made for the distribution of farm tractors at cost to farmers. The allocation of these by provinces was as follows: — British Columbia 21 Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba ... . 334 382 149 Ontario .... Quebec New Brunswick Nova Scotia 203 9 5 14 Prince Edward Island 6 1,123 In addition, 15 demonstration tractors were distributed to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In February a satisfactory arrangement was made with Henry Ford & Son, Inc., Dearborn, Mich., for the purchase of 1,000 farm tractors. The price agreed upon was $750 each, f.o.b. Dearborn. One of the conditions of the contract read: — " The entire arrangement is contingent upon the Govern- ment of Canada distributing these tractors direct to farmers in Canada at the price specified, plus freight, and with no profit allowed." 24 Orders were taken from farmers by the Provincial Depart- ments of Agriculture and forwarded by them to the Board. This measure greatly assisted in the work of larger production during the spring of 1918. Caaiadian firms which manufacture tractors were engaged at high pressure on other classes of farm machinery and their output at that time was not expected to exceed 300 tractors a year. The steps taken, therefore, were necessary to meet the immediate need. A representative of the Board was sent to Detroit to expedite shipments. Twenty-five tractors a day had been arranged for. As Dearborn is a way station there was a danger of delay and consequent demurrage charges, but it is worth noting that the Board only had to pay $9.00 car rental on the entire order. With shipments for the East much difficulty was experienced, and it was necessary in almost every instance to trace cars from Dearborn to Detroit through the yards of Windsor to ensure a speedy delivery. LABOR FOR FARMS.— Under the direction of the Board the Y.M.C.A., co-operating with the Provincial Departments of Agriculture, enrolled a large number of boys between the ages of 15 and 19 to work on farms during the summer months. This was known as the "Soldiers of the Soil" movement. The fol- lowing table shows the enrollment and the numbers placed : Province British Columbia . ... Alberta Saskatchewan. . . Manitoba Ontario Quebec ... New Brunswick . Nova Scotia . Prince Edward Island . No. of No. of Boys Boys Enrolled Placed 1,800 1,137 1,218 1,132 1,925 1,765 1,650 1,060 10,324 10,324 1,560 1,560 855 690 2,298 2,003 760 760 22,885 20,431 26 In addition to the above 14,800 boys were enrolled in Quebec by the Provincial Department of Agriculture. Acknowledgement should be made of the Provincial Depart- ments of Agriculture, Labor and Education; the National Council of Young Men's Christian Associations, whose staff was loaned without charge; leaders of Boy Scout Organizations, who recognized the importance of the movement and who ren- dered efficient service, and to hundreds of volunteer committee men. Every other method conceivable for securing labor was canvassed. An Order-in-Council was passed enjoining that every able person between the ages of 16 and 60 should be use- fully employed; this was known as The Anti-Loafing Law. It was instrumental in directing much labor to the farms. Meetings were organized throughout the Provinces to arouse local interest and to show the vital character of townsmen supplying labor for the farms if the large harvest expected were to be reaped. The Provincial Governments took direct measures for organizing and for securing labor and in all cases showed the greatest enthu- siasm and gave their earnest support. Close co-operation was throughout maintained with other Departments of the Government and of the Provincial Govern- ments. For instance, the heads of the Canners', Fruit and Vege- tables' and the Produce Sections were supplied by the Depart- ment of Agriculture; the head of the Statistical Section by the Department of Trade and Commerce; the Board of Railway Commissioners gave the services of their expert traffic men; the Fishery Section of the Board worked in close touch with the Fishery Department, while inspectors of the many Depart- ments all through the Dominion were utilized as intelligence and information officers in carrying out Food Control. STAFF AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS The many activities of the Food Board necessitated a highly organized staff and an efficient office system. Time in every case was an important factor in each step taken; food control was first and last a war measure. Every employee recognized the importance and urgency of the situation and, animated by patriot- 26 ism, often worked far into the night in the solution of problems for which there was no precedent to guide them. Only the devotion, self-sacrifice, and resourcefulness of the staff, coupled with "everlasting teamwork," made possible the carrying out of this work. Those associated with the office staff included: — General Counsel . ... .F.H.Keefer,K.C.,M.P. Chief of Staff .F.W.French. Assistant Chief of Staff. ... . .K. S. McKenzie. Accounting Department. . T. B. Lyons. J. F. Waddington. L. P. H. Charland. Bakers' Section W. H. Linn. Canners' Section C. S. McGillivray. Confectionery Section C. J. Bodley. Conservation Publicity Section . . . F. W. Stewart. Ernest B. Roberts. Domestic Economy Section . . Mrs. J. Muldrew. Enforcement Section ... . Jas. Parker, Solicitor. C. W. Baxter. C. R. Morphy. Files Department ... . Mrs. G. D. Macfarlane. T. W. Eadie. Capt. Botsford. Capt. Billings. Fish Section. Capt. F. W. Wallace. E. 0. Sawyer, Jr. Gardens and Vacant Lots Section F. Abraham. Fruit and Vegetable Section J. R. Hastings. H. Bertram. Import and Export Section . . L L. Healey. G. M. Morgan. T. C. Brown. Information Division . . W. Hamar Greenwood. S. Roy Weaver. S. H. Howard. Miss Ishbel M. Ross. Licensing Division C. E. Huston. H. Amphlett. G. Prang. C. Slack. 27 Millers' Section E. R. McDonald. " " Supervisor Prof. R. Harcourt Produce and Packers' Section . . . R. M. Ballantyne. J. F. Singleton. Public Eating House Section J. S. Byrom. G. C. Howell. E. M. Gladney. Statistical Section . . .Dr. R. J. McFall. Stores and Supplies . T. A. Moore. Sugar Section . J. R. Bruce, New York A. H. O'Neill, New York * * * * CRAMPED ACCOMMODATION.— The staff, from time to time, was seriously impeded in its work through the necessarily unsuitable accommodation obtainable. After two previous changes, the offices were located in a building where it was very difficult to arrange working conditions for a staff of two hundred people. Rooms were overcrowded, lack of floor space was so marked that correspondence and other files had to be placed in narrow passages; and the proper linking of departments was impossible. ¥ * * * FINANCES. — The statement of expense and revenue shows that the Canada Food Board has a surplus of $39,751.19, due chiefly to the balance of revenue from licenses. The total expenditure made by the Food Controller from July 1st, 1917, to January 31st, 1918, was $131,143.34. During that period no money was received as revenue and a large part of the expenditure was made for propaganda work imperatively necessary to put before the people the then little known policy of food saving. To carry out the work of food control in a democratic manner many committees were called to Ottawa to advise the Food Con- troller on the best methods to secure the largest quantity of foodstuffs for overseas shipment, while protecting the domestic supply. It was decided to charge fees for licenses in order that the cost of administration should be borne by the trades con- cerned, rather than by the general public. The statement of expenditure and revenue for the period from February 1st, 1918, to December 31st, 1918, shows that the desired object was attained. During the period, $24,066.70 was expended to pro- mote the "Soldiers of the Soil" movement, $4,646.44 in securing 28 other labor for farm work, $76,278.46 for educational and in- formative work, including advertising, making a total of $104,991.60 expended for work other than the general operation of the Board. CONCLUSION This, briefly, is the record of the work done by the Canada Food Board since it succeeded to the task assigned to the Food Controller. Its sectional activities are amplified in the ensuing part of this Report. The regular operation of an organization so broad in scope, as shown by the results achieved, justifies the statement that food control in Canada has been reduced to a working system. 29 PART II PART II FINANCIAL STATEMENT The attached statement shows the total expenditure of the Canada Food Board from February 1st, 1918, to December 31st, 1918. It will be noted that the operations showed a surplus of $39,751.19, which has been deposited to the credit of the Receiver General. All accounts paid by this Board have been audited by the Auditor General's Department, and no expenditures whatever have been made except for legitimate purposes, and vouchers have been secured for all such expendi- tures. CANADA FOOD BOARD STATEMENT OF EXPENSES AND REVENUE FROM FEBRUARY 1st TO DECEMBER 31ST, 1918. EXPENDITURE Ottawa Office, General..! 79,731.37 License, General 52,674.93 Canners 2,059.81 Fruit & Vegetable 5,342.40 Milling 8,149.11 Bakers 4,962.53 Produce 5,082.00 Wholesale Grocers 2,492.00 Retail Grocers. . 530.08 Wholesale Fish . . 17,638.76 Confectioners . . . 5,868.34 Miscel. Retail . . 716.26 Cereal 30.00 Eating Houses . . 11,275.49 Packers 118.40 Wholesale Flour and Feed 129.49 Sugar Refiners . . 5,126.72 Files Section... . 8,045.16 Export and Import 9,209.94 REVENUE Fish Licenses $ 19,578.42 Cereal Licenses 1,345.00 Bakers' Licenses 19,457.35 Fruit&VegetableLicenses 23,860.70 Millers' Licenses 11,169.10 V/holesale Grocers' Licenses 45,857.85 Retail Grocere' Licenses 89,503.53 Produce Licenses 17,501.85 Misc. Retail Licenses . . . 32,444.38 Eating Houses Licenses. . 53,819.71 Confectioners' Licenses. . 12,082.90 W. Flour & Feed Licenses 14,196.55 Packers' Licenses 11,476.75 Canners' Licenses 8,564.75 Sugar Licenses 5,503.35 Unissued Licenses 8,933.66 Electro Sales 3,417.28 Cook Book Sales 7,894.57 33 EXPENDITURE (Cont'd) Toronto Office 824.82 Milk Committee 328.38 Nat. Food Res. Com .... 2,289.85 Legal Division 10,557.33 Business, Mail & Supplies 7,773.32 Accounting 5,278.84 Files 2,441.79 Clerks & Sten. 7,775.44 Production and Conserv. General 41,256.06 Domestic Science . . . 4,465.11 Vol. Advertising 4,116.94 Garden & Vacant Lot 1,544.84 Prov. and Local Clubs 2,999.80 Commercial Travellers 722.90 Statistical Bureau 9,589.71 Enforcement 2,274.29 Labor Div., General 4,646.44 " S.O.S 24,066.70 Provincial Offices 47,149.25 Information 76,278.46 Moving Picture Advtg . . 2,991.00 Tractor Expense 21.35 Electro Expense 215.65 Cook Book Expense 13,140.65 Multigraph 41.66 Surplus 39,751.19 REVENUE (Cont'd) Miscellaneous Revenue 145,112.56 Including Penalty Fund. ?531,719.76 $531,719.76 .34 iHOrHC0OO00O-^0SS0OaiC^<0O"<*frl00W ioqTim-*«ou30o^'^oda» ^OMT-(_0»0-*10«300Nt-i-lTHrHO (MOOMN U500 ^ S o go g^ o o - 35 o E-1 CO N ■>* Oi -W CO CO 00 t-; Tj; t> CO 00 1-H lO Or-j05000001t- a S CO CO oq CO o of a T3 ;o 04 00 CO oa t- oa o 05 >H iH «0 00 04 O U3 oq CO o> S ^ S OJ 00 CO -^ 00 t» O^ tH CO Oi O T-H "^ CO 1—1 LO lA C0 CO ■* t- o CO 00 CO u> g 3 s r"KO & CO 00 lO o t-; t^ O O CO t-H O CO W3 ■^ OJ CO CO m of lO t>0 a CI (u a> > a U5 oc OJ OT »!)• .-I 00 >0 Cq 00 CO CO O OJ CO O O OS «3 od o en 00 T-H t- 03 CO CO 00 ea -^ Oi lO -^ 05 lO CO Oi CO o CO ^ ■^ OS ^ 00 00 OS ■* o 00 t> ui iO lO tH t- 00 oa -^ t-_^ CO U5 of l>^ OS CO OS -^ o 00 ca CO c^ 1-H 00 t- tH CO rH ejs c> CO T-H CO C- CD C^ CO ■ o •3.S S3g n s 2- > cd u, c o ^ o i2 ^►3 ■a 1-^ 01 S 3 u_i '■'.■J.— ("T^ w— ■ o rt S0 |1 g s III O ct e S P •I 2 o rt o ^ iJ tn Ph o pC4 36 o CD o lO lO in cs t- 00 Ti; o m us «> 50 lO 05 00 — i rt UJ O iH GO 1 t- t- a> ci IM rH t- rH ur. o o o in 1 IQ in 3 a> o o o dver an Publi lO im" o la N m < «e- 6«- to b oc o o 00 m =0 CO C-; « _ s oc rH CO co' t3 "O tH iH lO 00 Prinl an tatio o: t-" tH oo o tc IM m «2 *»■ ee- ^ 05 lO in •^3 K ■<* o 00 CO O) o * c> cc lO cn> S Sfi B. T— to t-_ J&O X oc rH (tT O ^H c^ eq t» 69- *" a, m to o rH ■* Ol in c^ 00 o rH Oi l-H rH ca c^ OJ cq c5 X O .-1 (N ^H U5 to- m 69- cc »H cc CO Cr- rH cc in ^ y^ -5|< rH t^ 5C ^ -^ •* E IM U3 oo IS 00 oT ej rt oc tH o tn r-^ eg eo- te- tl D .s 'm •F^ -M ^ (1> TS 1> ^ ^ < 1 o ' 2 3 m |5 2 1 al • 1 1 1 c o C 1 o IN Pi o T3 a bo o 00 t- CO ^' is .2 -§ w 3 J. T3 ^S tt> 1 b CO I - g ^ Qi bo X 0) bo • CU 00 +J r-i a . 8 y ^1 .s Pm -^ d 37 (Certifieate of Auditor General) OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL CANADA Ottawa, January 25tli, 1919. This is to certify that the accounts covering the Expenditure and Revenue of the Canada Food Board to December 31st last have been received. It may be observed that so far as this office is concerned the accounting work of the Board has been very satisfactory. (Signed) E. L. SUTHERLAND, Assistant Auditor General. When the work of the Canada Food Board was heaviest a staff of 225 persons was employed, the majority secured through the Civil Service Com- mission, which gave every assistance. Promotions were made on merit. At all times preference has been given to returned soldiers. The majority of the staff have taken a very keen personal interest in the work and have given all their time and energy to accomplish the work set before them. MAIL AND SUPPLIES AND FILES SECTIONS The purchases of all supplies for the office in Ottawa and the Provincial Offices, whether made through the regular Government sources, such as the Printing and Stationery Department, or from outside firms, have been made after securing prices from competitive firms. An endeavor was made so far as possible to anticipate wants for a long enough period to purchase in fairly large quantities in order to secure the minimum prices. A record was kept at all times of all stocks of literature, office supplies, etc., so that at the end of any day it was possible to ascertain quantities of supplies on hand. In order to keep down the expenses as much as possible a battery of multigraph machines was installed, and all circular letters and a consid- erable number of forms were printed on the premises, thus effecting a very considerable saving in printing expenses. General mail was handed to a staff of clerks who removed the enclosures, attached and stamped the letters, and distributed them to the various divi- sions concerned. Remittances for licenses were checked with the statement of the licensee before being listed and passed to the Accounting Department. In six months 214,310 pieces of incoming mail and 675,986 pieces of outgoing mail were dealt with in the Section. The General Files Section contained over 11,000 files, with a card index of over, 26,000 references. The License Division had 250,000 files. A maxi- mum of 3,500 files per day were handled in the latter. 38 LICENSE DIVISION Committees were formed late in 1917 from representative men in various lines of business in order to secure their co-operation in the adoption and enforcement of the regulations governing their respective trades. Regulations were passed which required dealers, both wholesale and retail, to obtain licenses, as follows: — 1st Dec. (1917)... Millers, 1st January (1918). Wholesale Fish Merchants, 1st January Breakfast Foods and Cereal Manufacturers, 1st February Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Merchants, 15th March Wholesale Produce Merchants, 1st April Wholesale Grocers, 3rd May Packers, 15th May General Retailers, 1st June Retail Grocers, 1st June Wholesale Flour and Feed Dealers, 15h June Canners, 21st June Manufacturing Bakers, 1st July Manufacturing Confectioners, 1st July Public Eating Places, 15th July Manufacturers using Sugar. The licensing system was worked out without precedent. Special problems were met as they appeared and an organization was built up. At times the work was handicapped through the difficulty in getting a staff and proper office space, but, notwithstanding these obstacles, food dealers have been^placed under license in the following numbers: — Classification 1. Wholesale Fish Dealers 2. Cereal Manufacturers 3. Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Dealers — 4. Millers 5. Manufacturing Bakers 6. Wholesale Grocers 7. Wholesale Produce Merchants 8. Retail Grocers 36,425 9. General Retail 12,976 10. Public Eating Places 11. Confectioners 12. Wholesale Flour and Feed Merchants 13. Packers 14. Canners 15. Manufacturers using Sugar No. of Total fees Licenses received to Issued Dec. 31, 1918 1,735 $ 19,578.42 115 1,345.00 1,774 23,860.70 653 11,169.10 2,650 19,457.35 938 45,857.85 1,244 17,510.35 36,425 89,503.53 12,976 32,444.38 16,193 53,819.71 1,149 12,082.90 460 14,196.55 480 11,476.75 532 8,564.75 692 5,503.35 78,016 $366,261.69 In connection with the issuing of licenses, it was found that certain sub-divisions of the staff were necessary. These sections are now given in the order the work is carried on:— Mailing; Accounting; General Adminis- trative; License Issuing; Card Record and Direx-All. 39 WHOLESALE GROCERS, RETAIL GROCERS AND GENERAL MERCHANTS' SECTION A new section was created to be responsible for the licensing and control of the Wholesale Grocer, Retail Grocer and the General Retailer — the last including Butcher, Baker (not manufacturing). Produce Dealer, Flour and Feed Dealer, Fruit and Vegetable Dealer and Fish Dealer. There are at present under license: — Fees Received 936 Wholesale Grocers $ 45,857.85 36,142 Retail Grocers 89,503.53 12,684 General Retailers 32,444.38 49,762 $167,805.76 Regulations were enacted relating to the sale of substitutes, sugar, flour, and the hoarding of foodstuffs. The sugar purchases and the sales of the wholesale grocer were placed under control, purchase being made from the importer or refiner against coupons, issued to the wholesaler upon his furnish- ing a sworn declaration of his previous year's purchases. His sales were controlled by a weekly sales return. The license number of the purchaser was required opposite each sale. Incidentally this brought unlicensed dealers under control, as they could not make sugar purchases without having a license. STATISTICAL DIVISION The purpose of the Statistical Division was: (1) To set forth for inform- ation statistical data available from many sources, making recompilations when necessary; (2) To gather and compile statistical data from reports of licensees; (3) To prepare for popular presentation by means of charts, dia grams and descriptive matter statistical data. The policy was co-operation with the other Departments of the Government, particularly the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, and the Cost of Living Branch of the Department of Labor. With the latter Department joint report forms from the licensees for the use of the two Departments have been adopted, inaugurating a system which would become of value as market statistics. The system of reports was worked out in co-operation with the Board's License Division. The reports used at present are the "Stock Form," the "Dealings Form," the Forms for "Public Eating Places, Bakeries, Biscuit, Candy and Ice Cream Factories," and the "Millers' Form." The "Stock Form" shows the stock of staple goods available at all times, the consumption of the same and the relation between the holdings of each licensee and business requirements. The "DeaUngs Form" is in use for Produce and Fruit and Vegetables only. This form is necessary to check up the observance of Order No. 45 and, at the same time, is capable of supplying much valuable trade information. The "Millers' Report" covers the complete operations of each mill, showing stocks on hand, production, sales, coses and profits for each month. The Report for "Public Eating Places, Bakeries, Biscuit, Candy and Ice Cream Factories" similarly covers the operations of bakers, confectioners, 40 etc. All these reports, excepting the Millers' Report, are in booklet form, admitting ease of handling. Reports being collected from the License Sections are sent to the Internal Trade Division of the Dominion Bureau of Statistics for compilation. Delinquents are dealt with through the Enforcement Section. Material has been prepared for the Information Division and for the Chair- man on various subjects, particularly for poster and chart work. Statistical articles on food have also been published in the press. BAKERY SECTION In the latter part of January, 1918, a meeting of the baking industry was held at Ottawa to discuss rules and regulations for the conservation of wheat. The first step taken was to require all bakers using five barrels of flour or more per month to obtain a license by March 1st. Order 16 compelled licensees to use standard flour, limited the ingredients in each barrel of flour, standardized the weight of bread in provinces, proh bited the wrapping of bread owing to a paper shortage and to conserve labor, and made the exchange of bread unlawful. The making of sole bread was abolished, with the excep- tion of where thirty-five per cent of rye was used, enabling the industry to conserve labor and obtain a large amount of bread from the same amount of ingredients used. Discounts or rebates were prohibited, and all licensees were compelled to keep books in such a way that same could be inspected by the Board at all times. On and after March 15th only standard flour was permitted in the manufacture of bakery products. Where any baker had larger stocks of patent flour than his competitors he pooled it so that all would begin to use standard flour at the same time. A detailed report was required each month of the ingredients used, the quantity of the output and a summary of stock to enable a check to be kept on the amount of sugar and fat used per barrel. Bakers were only allowed to have in stock, or in transit, a thirty days' supply of flour. From the monthly reports it became evident how sadly bakers lacked a system of accounting. The Board had to start an educational campaign, using the required returns as a means of compelling the installation of a cost accounting system. The Section was agreeably surprised with the good work accomplished in a short time. The Bakery Section had been experimenting with the use of substitutes up to twenty per cent with the seventy-six per cent extraction flour, using rye flour, corn flour, oat meal, etc., proving that a successful loaf could be made. Then order 49 was issued, abolishing the manufacture of sole bread entirely. Order 50 compelled the use of ten per cent of substitutes after July 1st, and twenty per cent after July 15th. At this time a petition was received from bakers in Vancouver and New Westminster asking that no bread should be sold in their cities until it was twelve hours out of the oven. Their request was complied with in Order 52. Later, the baking trade in British Columbia petitioned the Board to have the order apply to the whole of the Prov nee, and the request was complied with. When it was found that there were not enough substitutes in the country, Order 55 left the amount of substitutes at ten per cent. It was necessary to formulate a weekly report, showing the amount of wheat flour and substitutes in stock, used, and on hand at the end of each week. 41 To cover the Dominion and get these records in as quickly as possible, tbe baking industry was placed under a system of provincial and local super- vision. Appointed delegates of the Bakers' Committee toured the provinces, holding meetings where the bakers nominated one of their number to act as local supervisor. Any infractions were reported by him immediately to the Board, or corrected locally with the assistance of the supervisors. It was very gratifying to the Board to have these services given gratuitously to assist it in carrying out the regulations. In September it was found that every province in the Dominion was using in excess of the ten per cent of substitutes required, and had used less than the maximum amount allowed of sugar and fats. Bakers had never before gone so thoroughly into the question of costs, and it was only by educating them to keep a close oversight of their business that the price of bread has been kept within reasonable limits, for under Food Board control bread remained the cheapest article of consumption in the country. This is largely due to educational propaganda endeavoring to gst every baker to produce the maximum amount of bread from each barrel of flour. The private consumer was supplied with booklets issued by the Board, containing recipes for the use of flour and substitutes in the manufac- ture of bread, cakes, pies, etc. The trade has been circularized in both French and English regarding the use of substitutes in practical bread making. At the beginning of October, when it was agreed by the Allied Food Controllers that all Allies should "eat at the Allied Table," the baking industry was circularized advising them that in the near future twenty per cent of sub- stitutes would have to be used, and that the substitutes had been reduced to the following: rye flour, corn flour, barley flour and oat products. This largely abolished the high priced and very white substitutes such as rice flour corn starch, etc., which some of the larger firms were able to procure and use in unfair competition with other bakers. The baking industry today is only just beginning to realize the benefits obtained from regulation. The crude methods employed by the majority in the manufacture of products were brought home, and it must have been an eye-opener to many when they knew exactly what quantities of ingredients they used under the Food Board regulations in comparison with quantities previously used. The industry has now started to operate its business on a systematic basis. Resolutions sent in to the Section have expressed appre- ciation of the benefits derived while under regulation by the Canada Food Board. But it is an especial satisfaction to those in touch with the Section to know that the greatest result of the work was seen in the large increase of wheat gent overseas. CANNERS; SECTION This section was ogranized on February 15th, 1918. The duty assigned was the supervision of the commercial canned foods industry in as far as it related to fruits, vegetables and milk. As a first step towards organization representatives of the canned fruit and vegetable industry were called in for consultation on matters of policy. Later meetings with the jam and jelly and the evaporated milk industries were held. Following these conferences Order No. 39 was passed. The work of the Canners' Section has been closely allied with the Produce, Confectionery, Fruit and Vegetable and Import and Export Sections. It rendered material assistance to the Dairy Produce Com- 42 mission and to the British Ministry of Pood and co-operated closely with the canned foods division of the Health of Animals Branch of the Department of Agriculture. In canned fruits and vegetables close attention was given to aid production, prevent waste, encourage honest packing and grading to save sugar and to govern the spread between cost price and selling price. In one or two instances it was found necessary to place restrictions in order to save tin. Probably the largest pack of dried fruits and vegetables produced in any one year in the history of Canada was packed during 1918, although when the first questionnaire on the prospects for a pack of evaporated apples was sent out in August the replies indicated that while the apple crop was fair it was difficult to get either coal or help, and the operation of many plants was not expected. Information was collected from the packers as to their needs for coal, coke, etc., and placed before the Federal and Provincial Fuel Con- trollers. Through the efforts of the Canners' Section a market for from 80 to 100 car loads of evaporated apple waste was procured outside Canada at a good price, and the British Ministry of Food purchased over 1,000,000 pounds of evaporated apples at very satisfactory prices. In conjunction with the Department of Agriculture this Section super- vised the packing of War Orders for 25,000 000 pounds of desiccated vege- tables. To make this quantity between 125,000 and 150,000 tons of raw potatoes, turnips, carrots, onions, celery, etc., were used. The work of the Section as it related to condensed, evaporated and powdered milk was prin- cipally to carry out the requests of the Dairy Produce Commission. Regula- tions were inforced largely through the inspectors of the Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the discharge of their other duties. Packers have shown a praiseworthy spirit of co-operation. PUBLIC EATING HOUSE SECTION One of the early problems in food control was that of regulating public eating places. It was realized that while the saving that could be effected would be large, further benefits would be derived since the regulations would serve as a guide to householders generally. Reports obtained monthly from representative eating places show that as a result of the first order a reduction was made in the consumption of beef of forty-nine per cent, bacon fifty-three per cent, and white bread twenty-five per cent. Further restrictions in the use of these commodities were made as a result of more stringent orders passed later. Generally, householders lived up to, and in some cases exceeded, the spirit of these regulations. The saving thus effected was undoubtedly very large, though it cannot be measured accurately. The Order-in-Council dated August 9th, 1917, which made the serving of substitutes with white bread compulsory and instituted two meatless days each week, was supple- mented by regulations as the food situation became more acute, further restricting the use of beef, bacon, pork, white bread, butter and sugar. Waste of any food or food product fit for human consumption was prohibited. Proprietors of public eating places were required to provide garbage cans for the saving of kitchen scraps in order that this food might be made available for feeding livestock. All places regularly selling or serving meals or refreshments were required to obtain a license, and in this way control of all places serving food was ob- tained. The majority of such places lived up to the letter and the spirit of the regulations, and those who refused to do so were quickly brought into line by the suspension or cancellation of their licenses. The clerical work entailed was heavy, over 16,000 licenses being issued. Licensees were directly advised of all changes in regulations and helped from time to time by pamphlets and literature containing suggestions as to the best ways and means of saving foodstuffs. In July, 1918, further restrictions in the use of sugarwere necessary, and the amount was fixed at not more than two pounds of sugar for every ninety meals served. Sworn statements of the amount of sugar used during the year 1917 were obtained and certificates issued permitting the use of sixty per cent of the average monthly consumption during 1917. More than 12,000 certificates were issued, and although the work in securing these state- ments and issuing certificates was very great, the saving of approximately 6,000,000 pounds of sugar within four months more than justified the action taken. Reduction in waste has been remarkable. Cooks have become better educated in the economical uses of food material. Restrictions com- pelled them to seek new methods with results beyond expectations, and both eating place managers and housewives have learned what economy may accomplish. FISH SECTION In June, 1917, the Fish Committee of the Food Controller's Office was formed to stimulate the consumption of fish within Canada as a substitute for meats urgently required overseas. The following members, constituting the Committee, immediately set to work to stimulate consumption, organize supplies, prevent profiteering and facilitate transportation of fish to inland markets: — Mr. G. Frank Beer, Toronto (chairman), Mr. R. Y. Eaton, Toronto and Mr. W. S. Wiley, Port Arthur. The Committee found their task an arduous one in spite of the fact that Canada possessed enormous fishery resources. Scattered over an area 4,000 miles wide, the industry represented a huge unorganized activity where striking variations were met with in every ten degrees of longitude traversed. The public was apathetic with regard to fish as a food. Transportation facilities were inadequate and the care of fish in most of the retail stores received but scant attention. The public was repelled by unsanitary methods of handling and displaying. For this and other reasons the ready market and good prices offered in the United States drew the bulk of our fresh fish, and huge quantities were salted and dried for export to the Latin countries. After much negotiation, a fast freight train known as the "Sea Food Special" was placed in service by the Canadian Government Railways to transport fish from Maritime Province points to Montreal and Toronto — the trip from Mulgrave to Montreal being made in 48 hours. This train was of enormous benefit in bringing fresh fish in good condition to the Quebec and Ontario markets. Better retail handling was encouraged. The Committee successfully carried out the distribution of 300 sanitary fish display cases to the retail fish trade for the nominal sum of $10 apiece — half the cost of the ease being borne by the Government. A fish recipe book was compiled and 100,000 copies and 50,000 copies in French were distributed. Advertising and publicity were carried out with such good effect that by the end of 1917 44 the fish consumption throughout Canada has increased on an average about fifty per cent. Two of the largest wholesalers practically doubled their sales —one by a million pounds and the other by four million pounds. In September, 1917, it was found necessary to fix the maximum prices to be paid fishermen for winter caught fish in the provinces of Alberta, Sas- katchewan and Manitoba, by Order No. 3, that cheaper priced lake fish might be ensured to the citizens of the Western provinces. The spread of producers and retailers was also fixed, and whitefish, which formerly cost the consumer from 20 to 22 cents per pound, were retailed for not more than 16 cents. The Canadian consuming markets were guaranteed a first call upon the fish before it could be exported. Regulation of the Western lake winter fisheries cut down the export of winter caught fish from eighty-five per cent to fifty per cent, the difference being consumed in Canada. License regulations were drafted and became effective on January 1st, 1918. Licensees were required to submit sworn statements monthly showing quantities of fish bought, sold and on hand, and the price, high and low, of each species. A nominal license fee was charged. Many problems were studied. A famine in salt was averted through securing the necessary tonnage from the British Ministry of Shipping — work which was carried to a successful conclusion by the Food Board in 1918. Gasolene and coal were secured for the fishermen at various times and tie-ups averted, and a steam trawler was released from Naval Service to engage in fishing through the representa- tions of the Committee. By keeping in close touch with the industry the Committee was enabled to secure for the public supplies of excellent fish at reasonable prices, and the work which they did created a stable foundation for further efforts under the Canada Food Board. In February, 1918, the Fish Committee was re-organized as the Fish Section of the Food Board. The increasingly high price of halibut demanded attention. Halibut, produced almost entirely on the Pacific, was in greater demand through the four Western Provinces than any other sea fish. The high prices caused a host of complaints and interfered very much with the Board's request to the public to eat fish as a substitute for meat. The United States Food Administration requested the Board to join them in fixing maxi- mum prices on halibut. The Fish Section found that owing to the increasing scarcity of the fish, the expense of catching them through high cost of labor and long steaming distances to fishing grounds, no price fixing would ever bring halibut out of the luxury class, and the Section set to work to find sub- stitutes. Upon the Pacific Coast there were vast quantities of flat-fish — soles, brills, plaice, witches and skate, also several varieties of codfish — red, ling and grey cods — which were unutilized by the fishermen. Thej? fish could only be caught economically by steam trawler. The Chairman of the Food Board, while a member of the Salmon Fisheries Commission in 1917, was convinced that the fishery for these species should be prosecuted; a new fishery established to take the place of the declining halibut fishery, and cheaper fish procured for the markets of the four Western Provinces. With the assistance of Mr. John P. Babcock, Assistant Commissioner of Fisheries for British Columbia, the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Company, Ltd., of Prince Rupert, B.C., were induced to fit out the steam trawler "James Car- ruthers" to catch flat-fish and cods, and arrangements were made to market 45 these fish, frozen and dressed, at prices which would enable them to be re- tailed as far east as Winnipeg at 10 and 11 cents per pound. Order No. 18 was promulgated on February 21st, 1918, fixing the prices and spreads on Pacific flatfish and cods from fisherman to retailer. In order to encourage the market and keep the price low, the Department of Marine and Fisheries co- operated by offering to pay two-thirds of the transportation charges on these fish to all points west of the Manitoba eastern boundary. The "James Carruthers" started operations in March, 1918, and the Superintendent of the Fish Section made two voyages on her accompanied by an expert motion picture photographer. A film of the operations was made showing the catching of the fish and the whole process from sea to the con- sumer's table. This film was circulated throughout the West as part of the propaganda necessary to create a market. The Superintendent made a tour of Western cities and secured the assistance of the wholesale and retail trade in handling these Pacific fish and calling the attention of the public to them. Within a month a demand was created and the Canadian Fishing Company and the British Columbia Packers' Association each put a steam trawler into operation. Advices received in November, 1918, show that since March, 1918, 3,542,000 pounds of flatfish and about 1,000,000 pounds of codfish have been marketed throughout the Western provinces. These fish have become ex- ceedingly popular and are now permanently in demand, not only in the West, but in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. This venture, combined with the fixing of prices on the winter caught fish of the Western lakes, ensured a large supply of sea and lake fish at reasonable prices to the citizens of the Western provinces and, also, in a large measure, to those of Ontario. In February, 1918, all retail fish dealers throughout the Dominion were brought under license by Order No. 22. In the spring of 1918, the fishing industry of the Maritime Provinces was threatened with serious loss owing to the difficulty in procuring salt. Through the British Ministry of Food having bottoms allocated to bring solar salt from Spain, some 26,000 tons were secured and a serious situation averted. A plentiful and cheap supply of lake fish to the Western provinces during the summer was assured by fixing a maximum retail pri'ce of fifteen cents per pound on dressed whitefish. One cent per pound extra was allowed for outside points. In order to stimulate the greater use of Atlantic sea fish in Ontario and Quebec, the Superintendent made a voyage on a steam trawler out of Canso, N.S., to Western Bank in June, accompanied by a motion picture photographer, and an educational film was prepared. This film was circu- lated throughout the Eastern provinces with excellent results. At the Cana- dian National Exhibition, Toronto, in co-operation with the Canadian Fisheries Association and the Ontario Government Fisheries, an exhibit was ar- ranged by the Board. In September the winter fishery of the Western Lakes again called for attention. After conference with fishermen and dealers in Winnipeg, Order No. 65 was drafted fixing the prices on winter caught fish to fishermen and dealers. By this, the Canadian consumer was assured of lake fish supplies at reasonable prices free from the inflation caused by export competition as before permission to export is granted, all Canadian orders must be filled. 46 The Food Board co-operated with the Canadian Fisheries Association in making Thursday, October 31st, Canada's National Fish Day. The public responded loyally and it is calculated that something like 2,500,000 pounds of fish were consumed on National Fish Day. The consumption of fish in some of the larger centers is given herewith: Montreal 355,000 pounds. Toronto 222,000 " Winnipeg 100,000 " Ottawa 35,000 Quebec 80,000 Quebec Province consumed 755,000 pounds. The Section awards a certificate of commendation to those dealers who display and handle fish in an attractive and sanitary manner, issued upon the recommendation of the Board's Provincial Secretaries and the Directors of the Canadian Fisheries Association. During November and December the Fish Section carried on a campaign to popularize cod-fish and frozen fish in Ontario and Quebec. The value of the Canadian Fisheries as a national resource and of fish as an economical and healthful food has been prominently brought forward in a manner which has commanded atterttion. Hotels, restaurants, and private homes are now using twice the former amounts of fish. Retail fish stores are conducted on an improved basis and more varieties of fish are being sold. A new and thriving fishery has been established on the Pacific Coast. Generally speaking, the fisheries of Canada, in so far as the home market is concerned, have been greatly stimulated and the effects will be permanent. Transportation of fish and standardization of fish and packages affords several problems. Many varieties cheaply procured and excellent in edible qualities require to be popularized with the public, and the introduction of fresh and frozen fish supplies into centres off the main lines of transportation call for much attention. FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECTION Shortly after the appointment of a Food Controller, the late Mr. D. Johnson, Dominion Fruit Commissioner, was asked to take charge of the work of fruit distribution. It soon became apparent that detailed considera- tion would have to be given to the distribution and sale of fruits and vegetables, as well as of other foodstuffs. Mr. Johnson was therefore asked to organize a Fruit and Vegetable Committee, whose duties would be: (1) to have fruit and vegetables available in as large quantities as possible at reasonable prices in order to release wheat and meat; (2) to ensure reasonable prices to the producer as a means of encouraging production; (3) to distribute the avail- able supply through proper channels; and (4) to control distribution and prices whenever such action would appear to be necessary. Owing to the embargo which prohibited the export of apples from Canada to Great Britain, it was necessary that immediate steps be taken to facilitate the marketing of Canadian apples at home. This was particularly difficult in the case of Nova Scotia. A very large proportion of the crop in the Annapolis Valley had always been sold in Great Britain. It was necessary to move this crop, which in 1917 was approximately 750,000 barrels, westward in Canada. Working in co-operation with the railway officials, arrangements 47 were made to secure an adequate supply of cars for the transportation of Nova Scotian apples to western markets. A representative was placed at Kentville, N.S. As a result of these efforts practically the entire Nova Scotian crop of 1917 was marketed at remunerative prices to the growers. Wholesale and retail fruit and vegetable dealers from Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto were asked to furnish sworn statements showing their cost of operation, their net profits, gross profits, amount of capital invested, etc., and similar enquiries were held at points in the Prairie Provinces and at Van- couver and Victoria. The result was that valuable information was obtained, the main revelation of which was that, contrary to expectations, the net profit made by the wholesale fruit and vegetable dealers was comparatively small. For these reasons no price fixing was considered necessary. It was, however, considered advisable to have every wholesale fruit and vegetable dealer under register at the office of the Food Board and for them to submit a monthly statement showing purchases and sales together with the cost and selling prices. Particular attention had been given to the distribution of the potato crop of 1917. In regard to grading, it was thought that any compulsory sys- tem might have a tendency to interfere with production, which it was absolutely necessary should be stimulated. Recommendations were made covering two grades of potatoes. The use of these was made optional. These optional grades were subsequently embodied in the Fruit Marks Act for enforcement by the Department of Agriculture. Much work in all classes of trade came under the observation of the Fruit and Vegetable Section. The enforcement of the Waste Order, which was passed early in 1918, was placed in the hands of the Fruit and Vegetable Section until the organization of an Enforcement Section in July. During the summer of 1918 a publicity campaign was carried on with the object of increasing the consumption cf vegetable foods, the production of which had been very large. Altogother the efforts of the Section resulted in a valuable saving and prevented any waste of fruits and vegetables which might have resulted from the abnormally heavy home production. MILLING SECTION In October, 1917, plans for the regulation of the flour milling industry were formulated by the Food Controller. The general principles of control were the stabilizing of flour prices at a level that would limit the profits of the milling industry to a maximum average of twenty-five cents upon the milling of a barrel of flour and the feed made in connection therewith; the fixing of a standard of extraction so that the most economical use of wheat would be secured; the conservation of fiour so that, while there might be sufficient for the needs of the people of Canada, the greatest possible quantity would be available for export to the Allies; the stabilizing of the prices of bran and shorts at a low level to assist the development of the livestock and dairy industry; and the prohibition of export of these mill feeds. A representative committee was appointed which continued to work with the Canada Food Board in all matters pertaining to the milling industry and which also co-operated with the Board of Grain Supervisors in the allocation of wheat to Canadian mills and with the Wheat Export Company in the matter of flour exports to the Allies. 48 On December 1st all flour mills were brought under license, and since that date regulations have been promulgated from time to time for the control of the industry. Later a Milling Section of the Canada Food Board was organized to check up the operation of the mills and, in connection with the Enforcement Division, to see that all regulations were strictly observed. On December 17 the prices of bran and shorts were fixed at a low point compared with the prices of other feeds. An expert was sent to Western Canada to investigate the average of the milling quality of the wheat avail- able, and to the United States to examine the standards of extraction there. On his recommendation an extraction was set for Canadian mills which mate- rially increased the output of flour. By means of reports received, monthly or oftener, from all licensed mills, check was kept on the quantity of wheat ground and the weight of flour produced therefrom. Mills which, through carelessness or ineflScient methods, were not producing the maximum possible amount of flour were written to or visited and helped to overcome their diffi- culties so that this maximum should be produced. In this way a great many mills were brought to a higher standard of efficiency. This educational work will doubtless have a lasting effect on the milling industry. In April, 1918, the flour extraction was lengthened, an order being passed providing that not more than 268 pounds of spring wheat, and not more than 268 pounds of winter wheat, should be used to manufacture a barrel of flour (196 pounds). These regulations were continued until September 6th. Then, on account of the improvement in the prospects of supply of wheat owing to the harvesting of the new crop and through the large use of flour "substi- tutes," the extraction was again lowered to about seventy-four per cent, at which point it has since been maintained. With each change, millers were supplied with a sample of flour of the new extraction, selected and tested by experts. From time to time samples were obtained from mills and tested to ensure a uniform grade for both export and domestic trade. The flour sold as Government standard flour has been of high quality and has been well received, not only overseas, but by the bakers and housewives in Canada. At the same time the ratio of extraction adopted resulted in materially increas- ing the quantity of flour produced from the wheat used. This increase and the saving in domestic consumption, due to the response to the appeal for conservation and to the employment of "substitutes," enabled Canada to supply to Allied countries, during the crop year, a very much greater quantity of flour than had ever been exported before, the total reaching 10,826,000 barrels. Prices during the period were successfully stabilized on the principles laid down. The total amount of wheat milled in Canadian mills during the past year was about 84,000,000 bushels. Approximately 20,000,000 barrels of flour were produced, an average consumption of 252 pounds of wheat per barrel of flour (196 pounds). The amount of wheat flour saved by the longer extraction was enormous. It was found in June, 1918, that if the Dominion was to continue to export the wheat and wheat flour urgently required at the front, bakers, con- fectioners, public eating places and private homes would have to use substitutes for wheat flour. Action was taken to provide the best substitutes and to ar- range for their distribution. This involved a tremendous amount of work, 49 since corn, barley, oat and rye flour had not in the past been manufactured in large quantities. A number of millers changed their mill plant to produce these, and thus a sufficient quantity of non-wheaten flour was made avail- able. Flour and feed dealers were placed under license. In all, 653 millers' licenses were issued, and 460 flour and feed licenses. On January 19 an order fixed the amount that might be added to the cost of bran and shorts by feed dealers. Thus these necessary feeds continued to be comparatively low in price. This had a beneficial effect in encouraging the production of livestock, cheese, butter and milk. At the time of writing the price of bran and shorts in the United States is from $17.00 to $20.00 per ton higher than the price in Canada. So great was the demand for bran and shorts that during last winter great difficulty was experienced in dividing evenly the limited supply available throughout Canada. Export of these feeds was pro- hibited. PRODUCE SECTION A Produce Committee was named in February, 1918. Meetings were held in Ottawa and a report of the findings was published in March. The Produce Section was organized under the supervision of Mr. R. M. Ballan- tyne. Commodities included as produce under the administration of this section were meats, lard, lard compound, cheese, butter, oleomargarine, eggs and poultry. The objects were: — (a) To facilitate and incresae the export of the different commodities to Great Britain and her Allies; (6) to prevent waste; (c) to regulate prices by eliminating speculation and by controlling or limiting the profit permissible to wholesale dealers. All persons, firms, or corporations dealing wholesale in any of the commodities enumerated above, were required to obtain licenses from the Food Board. Packers and whole- sale butchers were licensed as such and did not require license as Produce Wholesalers, being permitted to carry on a produce business under the Packer's License. Wholesale Grocers licensed as such and also operating in produce were not required to obtain license as Produce Wholesalers, provided the turnover in produce was not excessive as compared with the total turnover of the grocery business. All persons, firms or corporations operating exclusively in produce were licensed as Produce Dealers under the following classifications: — Produce Wholesaler; Produce Commission Merchant; Produce Broker; and Produce Collector. Altogether 1,244 licenses were issued and 480 Packer's or Whole- sale Butcher's licenses. Orders dealing with this section were Nos. 19, 24, 26, 38, 41, 45, 48, 59, and Order-in-Council 597. For the purpose of administering Orders 26 and 45, in conjunction with the Statistical Section, all dealers in produce were required to supply monthly reports giving particulars of the month's dealings. These reports showed the quantities in stock at the beginning of each month, with cost; quantities purchased during the month, and cost; the quantities sold during the month to wholesalers and "to others not wholesalers" and the selling values of each; and the stock on hand at the end of the month. These reports have made possible the checking up of the Canadian wholesale trade regularly each month, showing the stock held by each dealer, the require- ments of each dealer's trade and the loss in the different commodities through 50 wastage. In addition to checking up the business of the individual firms, the total of Canadian stocks as well as the monthly Canadian trade require- ments of the different commodities were thus obtained. Under the provisions of Order-in-Council, P.C. 597, and Order 26, a considerable quantity of the 1917 crop of cheese, held largely for speculative purposes, was secured during March, April and May for export to Great Britain, where it was urgently needed. The price paid by the Dairy Produce Commission was the price being paid by the Commission at the time this cheese was purchased in 1917. In all 14,886 boxes of cheese, which weighed approximately 1,262,649 pounds, were secured. This quantity of Canadian cheese was secured before the 1918 crop was available for export, and was of great assistance in maintaining the food supply of the armies and civilian populations overseas. Information obtained from reports furnished to the Statistical Section during September by a large wholesale produce company at Quebec, P.Q., indicated that this firm was carrying for speculative purposes a quantity of creamery butter in excess of that allowed. Investigation of the firm's books showed that information supplied by them to the Board was inaccurate. In this case action was taken by the Board which resulted in the delivery of 387,381 pounds of creamery butter to the Dairy Produce Commission for export to Great Britain at the price being paid by the Commission at the time this butter was taken off the market. Many other firms at different times were shown to have had excessive stocks of different commodities, as fixed by Order 26, and were required to dispose of them. The taking over of these excessive stocks at the prices paid by the holders entailed a heavy loss and constituted a severe penalty on offending licensees. Reports received for July showed that some firms had taken a greater margin of profit than was allowable. As July was the first month during which the order was operative, these firms were let off with a warning. This action proved justifiable, as subsequently they adhered strictly to the provisions of the order. During June and July complaints were received that some firms were not observing Clause No. 16 or Order 41, which reads as follows: — "No licensee shall pay or demand payment for bad eggs in excess of a margin of allowance of one per cent on the total of each transac- tion." Investigation showed that two prominent packing houses in Montreal had disregarded this clause, and on August 22 these houses were ordered to cease buying or selling eggs for a period of thirty days. This action had a beneficial effect on the egg trade and no further complaints on the point were eceived. Information received during October showed that a wholesale produce dealer in Ontario was selling eggs at prices which were higher than was possible provided that the provisions of Order 45 were being carried out. Examination of the firm's books showed this to be correct and that bad eggs had been paid for in excess of the allowed margin of one per cent. The firm was ordered to refund to purchasers the amount overcharged and the pur- chasers were notified that their selling price must be based on the reduced purchase price. The offending firm was also ordered to sell the remaining stock of eggs at a price which would comply with the provisions of Order 45. 51 Early in December an officer of tlie Section visiting the trade in Winnipeg learned that a wholesale dealer in that city had, during the summer, stored two thousand one hundred cases of eggs and that some two hundred cases had been sold at an excess price. Investigation confirmed this, as the owner had no Canadian trade requirements and was holding the eggs for speculative purposes. He was ordered to dispose at once of the entire stock at a price which would comply with the Board's requirements. The eggs were marketed at a price 8J^ cents per dozen less than that at which they were being ofiEered before the investigation. Some instances were reported of produce being allowed partially to spoil. In all such cases orders have been issued requiring the produce to be marketed immediately in such channels as would bring it into quick consump- tion, and thus avoid further loss. Some 28,000 pounds of cheese of poor quality held in St. John, N.B., and Halifax, N.S., spoiling from this cause, were disposed of and went into consumption at once, thus avoiding any further loss. During the summer months oleomargarine sold very slowly, and some, large stocks imported from the United States were in danger of spoiling. About 75,000 pounds of this imported product was returned to the United States during August. A report regarding a London, Ont., wholesale house wasting food re-, ceived wide publicity through newspapers. This report was to the effect that the firm was holding large quantities of eggs in storage until many of the eggs became unfit for food, and that the bad eggs were then dumped on farms as fertilizer. An investigation by an officer of the Section showed that the story was altogether untrue, and that the eggs and shells which had been thrown out were "rots" and shells of broken eggs from current receipts. None of the eggs which had been thrown out had been placed in storage. Order-in-Council 2402, dated September 30, requisitioned for export to Great Britain all creamery butter manufactured in the Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec between September 30 and November 9, inclusive. Copies of the order with blank report forms and instructions regarding shipment were mailed to all manufacturers of creamery butter in those provinces. Weekly reports from the creameries were checked and any creameries failing to report were written to. The quantity of cream- ery butter made in each creamery as shown by the reports received and the quantity delivered by each individual creamery for export were totalled. Orders of the Board relative to produce have been, on the whole, well received and faithfully carried out by those engaged in the wholesale trade. The efficiency of the orders is demonstrated by the fact that for several months past creamery butter in Canada has been selling at a much lower price than in the United States, and, at the beginning of 1919, the Montreal market was fully 12 cents per pound lower than the New York market. Eggs also have been kept at a price averaging much below that which would have ruled had those orders not been in force. SUGAR AND CONFECTIONERS' SECTION The organization of the Sugar Division became imperative in the early months of 1918. Sugar restrictions in the British Isles and European Allied countries had been in force for some time. It became evident that the manu- 52 facture of candy, chocolate, chewing gum, cakes, biscuits, soft drinks and all products in which sugar entered as an ingredient, would have to be regulated. The normal consumption of cane sugar in Canada as given in the 1917 record of imports was, approximately, 317,000 tons. The allocation for 1918, as designated by the International Sugar Commission, was considerably less than this amount, with the uncertain prospect of securing transport of the allotment. Coupled with the sugar conservation program in the manufacture of cakes and biscuits a plan was formulated for the conservation of fats for shortening purposes. A meeting held in April of the leading biscuit and candy manufacturers was unanimous in its support of the program outlined, although it would affect to a serious extent the output of the concerns rep- resented. The shortage of sugar for domestic consumption had resulted in a demand for the elimination of the candy and ice cream industries. The policy of the Board has always been to consider public interests first, but it was deemed inadvisable to destroy an established industry. Orders were issued against sugar hoarding. It was made an offence to hold more sugar than would be required for household purposes, for varying periods defined as from fifteen to one hundred and twenty days. Household restrictions were placed on the use of sugar for icing cakes and the manufacture of home-made candy. In August a second conference was held. This meeting was attended by representatives of every province in the Dominion,' excepting Alberta. A proposal, in which the Board heartily concurred, was made to establish a system of provincial supervision. A leading manufacturer was appointed in each province, under whose advice local supervisors were appointed. This system enabled the Board to keep in close touch with the situation, and gave the manufacturers absolute confidence that everything possible was being done to stop the illegal use of sugar. The organization was purely voluntary and proved a complete success. Following is a summary of the Sugar Regulations issued:— Order No. 30, April 25th, 1918, ordered that no person should hold more than fifteen days' supply of sugar excepting those Hving at greater distances than two miles from nearest dealer. Manufacturers under this order were restricted to a supply not exceeding forty-five days' requirements. Order No. 34, April 30th, 1918, dealt solely with the manufacture of biscuit, cake and confectionery products. A uniform basis was deter- mined which eliminated certain mixtures to the advantage of both sugar and shortening conservation. Order No. 35, April 25th, 1918, dealt with restrictions as applied to the private homes, making it illegal to use cane sugar in decorating cakes or to manufacture candy. Order No. 54, July 15th, 1918, affected all manufacturers, other than those included in Order No. 34, using sugar in the preparation of their products. With its issuance, the Board secured complete control of sugar used for manufacturing purposes, including aerated beverages, fountain fruits, syrups, jelly powders, and tobacco. The manufacture of icing sugar was prohibited. Retail dealers in sugar were prohibited from selling to manufacturers of confectionery, etc. Sugar certificates 53 were issued to every licensee with the allotment for the period July 15th to September 30th, on a seventy-five per cent basis. Order No. 60, September 5th, 1918, confirmed Order No 34, which was operative only from May 1st to August 31st. The quantity of sugar allowed to biscuit and cake manufacturers was reduced from 100 pounds to 80 pounds per barrel of flour. Public eating places were reduced to two pounds of sugar for every ninety meals served. A monthly system of reports from all manufacturers was required, to ascertain the amount of sugar carried in stock and used. In numerous cases, stock was removed under orders and redistributed. By careful checking, every manufacturer was required to prove the record previously submitted of his 1917 sugar consumption. The penalties imposed were not made public, the sugar allotment being reduced in each case to meet the revised figures. Immediately following the issuance of Order No. 34, meetings were held in Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Quebec, St. John, Halifax and Moncton, attended by biscuit, cake and candy manufacturers. Sugges- tions were made as to the use of sugar substitute; the use of corn syrup, refiners' syrups, maple sugar and honey was urged and subsequent reports showed good results from the use of substitutes. The Department did every- thing possible to co-operate with manufacturers and to assist in the mainten- ance of the industry. All raw sugars were allocated to the various refineries pro rata on the basis of the 1917 supply. (Canada has six sugar refining companies, viz.: — Acadia, of HaUfax, N.S.; Atlantic, St. John, N.B.; Canada, Montreal, P.Q.; St. Law- rence, Montreal, P.Q.; Dominion, Chatham, Ont., and the British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.) It was found necessary to formulate plans to obtain a system of distribution. In August, 1918, such a system was inaugurated. Each refinery submitted a weekly report showing the amount of raw sugar received with the total balance of both raw and refined sugar on hand at the week end. To complete this plan every wholesale dealer of sugar in Canada was put on a coupon sytem, issued on a basis of eighty per cent of the average 1917 sales, and each dealer provided a weekly statement of his receipts and disbursements. The following is a statement of sugar used during 1917 by No. 11 Licensees: — Manufacturers of Candy 55,064,574 pounds. " Biscuits, etc 12,955,365 " " Chocolates 9,267,085 ' " Gum 2,297,346 " Sundries 3,736,008 " " Syrups 567,897 " Cocoanut 300,000 Total 84,188,275 " Monthly Average 7,015,690 " Estimated monthly saving of sugar fifty per cent 3,507,845 " The total sugar imports to Canada for 1917 were approximately 317,000 tons or 634,000,000 pounds. On this basis, the manufacturers of confectionery included in above group used twelve per cent. A reduction to practically 54 a fifty per cent basis shows that the manufacturers of this line during the period of greatest sugar shortage used only six per cent of a normal supply. In addition to the confectionery trade and grouped under another restricted class the following trades were affected, as shown in a statement of sugar used during 1917 by No. 15 Licensees: — Manufacturers of Soft Drinks 13,573,224 pounds. " Table Syrups 5,085,374 " "Pharmaceuticals... 2,881,681 '• Jelly Powders 2,902,541 " " Tobacco 1,536,026 " Fountain Syrups . . . 325,852 " Shortening, etc 150,000 " H. Glycerine 148,280 " " Prepared Chocolate 62,496 " Cocoanut 45,550 " " Extracts 21,415 '• " " Caramel and Al- mond Paste ... . 17,617 " " Mincemeat 12,500 " Lithographic Paper, etc 1,700 " Silk Yarn 1,000 " " Shoe Polish 1,000 " " Bird Preparations . 886 Total 26,767,872 An average reduction of fifty per cent was secured on the above list from July 15th to December 31st, 1918, or a saving equal to 1,115,328 pounds per month. Viewing the collective results of efforts to control sugar, manufacturers as a general rule appreciated the importance of the work. The necessary restrictive features of orders were as well observed. The control of the distribution of sugar from the refinery to wholesaler and thus to manufacturers and consumer was well organized and proved an effective means to spread supplies. In the spring arrangements were made with the Provincial Departments of Agriculture for the issue of certificates to bona-fide bee-keepers to enable them to purchase the sugar required for feeding. This arrangement worked out satisfactorily. After a conference in the fall, certificates were issued enabling bee-keepers to purchase twenty pounds of sugar per colony, and where there was "foul brood" the amount was raised to forty pounds. Thus 1,166 certificates were issued for 882,810 pounds of sugar. By this means the bee industry of the Dominion, representing an invested capital of over $3,000,000, was protected against serious loss. SUGAR DIVISION IN NEW YORK Previous to the year 1918 Canada produced less than four per cent of the quantity of sugar consumed by its population. The balance, approximately 317,000 tons, was obtained from Santo Domingo, Venezuela, Surinam, the 65 British Colonies in the Atlantic, Peru, Java, Formosa, Fiji and the Islands in the Pacific. The tranpsortation of this large quantity of sugar from thousands of mUes overseas required the organization and regular operation of a fleet of vessels capable of delivering 26,000 tons of sugar monthly at Canadian ports. In September, 1917, the Imperial Government, in agreement with the Government of the United States, set up the International Sugar Committee in New York. On this committee the interests of the Royal Commission on the sugar supply were represented by Sir Joseph White-Todd and Mr. J. Ramsay Drake. By the purchase of the Cuban sugar crop and close co-operation with the Allied Shipping Boards the International Sugar Committee controlled the raw sugar supply. Pending an agreement for the allotment of sugar to the various countries interested, Canada's supply was stopped. The Canada Food Board immiediately sought representation on the International Sugar Committee and negotiations resulted in a prompt recognition of Canadian requirements. To insure that the Dominion supply should be pro rata with other nations, and to cope with the intricate technical problems which surrounded shipping and purchase, the Sugar Division of the Canada Food Board was established in New York. Mr. Joseph R. Bruce, Supervisor of Southern Branches of the Royal Bank of Canada, was appointed Canadian representative, and subse- quently Mr. Alexander R. O'Neill and Mr. H. Mark Tapley joined the division. Desirable co-operation was maintained with international authorities; ocean shipping was closely followed and its difficulties overcome. In all, 319,000 long tons of raw sugar, valued at over $37,000,000, were secured and delivered at Canadian ports during 1918. On arrival in Canada raw sugar was allocated by the Sugar Division to refineries, dealers and manufacturers to secure an equitable distribution. The Sugar Division in New York has now closed contracts for sugar ample to supply Canadian needs during 1919. EXPORT AND IMPORT SECTION The Export and Import Section of the Food Board was instituted in the middle of November, 1917, under Order-in-Council 3211. The purpose of the department was three-fold: — 1. To regulate the export of surplus articles of food, feeding stuffs and other supplies, so that these articles might, by the proper channels, reach the Allies and their armies at the front, and generally 30 to regulate Canadian exports as to secure adequate supplies con- jointly with other countries fighting with the same purpose in view. 2. To confer with the Food Control authorities of other countries for the provision of food, feeding stuffs and other articles needed in the Dominion. 3. To regulate the food-stuffs imported and to restrict food- stuffs covered by Customs memoranda 2238-B and 2229-B, which had been placed in the jurisdiction of the Board. All applications for "permits" to import or to export any of the innu- merable articles which came within the above categories received individual consideration. When it was considered desirable special "permits" were 66 granted— written "permits" covering each shipment, with brief description. The work of the department covered the whole of the Dominion. The corres- pondence formed possibly the heaviset of any section into which the Food Board woric was divided. The number of "permits" to export, from the inauguration of the Board to December 31st, was 14,779, and the number of "imports" 11,354. An idea of the vast total of trade transacted under this department may be obtained from the following table of a few of the commodities secured through the United States Food Administration.: — Oleomargarine 1,000,000 pounds monthly Corn 2,260,000 bushels Oil Cake Meal 35,000,000 pounds yearly Cottonseed Oil 60,000,000 Cottonseed Meal 50,000,000 Prunes (dried) 10,000,000 Peaches (dried) 1,000,000 " " Carbonate Ammonia 16,000 " monthly To take the first mentioned article, oleomargarine, the importation of which was covered by Order-in-Council 1772, dated July, 1918, this commodity, though under the jurisdiction of the Canada Food Board, was supervised by the Veterinary Director General's Branch of the Department of Agriculture, because the sanction of the department was by law required for any import of oleomargarine, which had to be of Government standard and labelled and branded according to the special Order-in-Council, and inspected in manu- facture on behalf of the authorities. When the officials of the Veterinary Director General's Branch were satisfied on the above points a "permit" to import was granted. This had to be surrendered to the Collector of Customs before entry was allowed. Such "permit" was secured on invoice shipment, one copy of which had to be deposited with the United States War Trade Board. Much the same procedure was followed in obtaining an export license. The following Orders-in-Council cover the activities of the Export and Import Section: — No. 3211 November 15, 1917. No. 3347 December 3, 1917. P.C. L193 June 3, 1918. Customs Memoranda— 2149-B. 2712B, 2206B, 2216B, 2257B, 2225B, 2229B, 2238B. SOLICITOR'S AND ENFORCEMENT SECTION On April 18th, 1918, a solicitor to the Board was appointed and a section was opened to direct enforcement of the Board's orders and certain Orders in Council such as P.C. 597 for the Prevention of Waste and Order in Council P.C. 3430 dealing with the detention of cars. All orders had the sara e force and effect as Acts of Parliament. For the violation of any order a pen- alty was imposed. The public looked to the Board for enforcement and there was some criticism due to a misunderstanding of the Board's duties and functions, all of which were embodied in the various enabling orders. Order-in-Council P.C. 1460, of 16th June, 1917, authorized the Food Controller to make a sur- 57 vey of the available supplies of food, the requirements of Canada, and to facilitate the export of the surplus to Great Britain and her Allies. On 15th November, 1917, Order-in-Council P.C. 3214 gave the Food Controller power to license dealers in food. Section 2 whereof provided as follows : — "Any such license may be cancelled or suspended by the Food Controller (later Canada Food Board by virtue of Order-in-Council P.C. 344) for the violation of any of the provisions of these regulations or of any amendment thereof, and by any order or regulations made by the Food Controller hereunder." And Section 8 provided that: — "Any person violating any of the provisions of these regulations shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to both fine and imprisonment." Penalties were varied in subsequent orders in that the minimum fine was fixed at $100 and the maximum fine at $1,000, and the maximum term of imprisonment three months. All doubt as to the application of the penalties was removed by Order-in-Council P.C. 1542, which made it clear that "regu- lations" applied not only to regulations under Order-in-Council, but also to regulations in the orders of the Canada Food Board. The Canada Food Board, acting by itself, could only cancel or suspend existing licenses for the violation of any of the provisions of the regulations contained in the various orders. The only other means of enforcement was by laying information against the offender, who was guilty of an offence, and liable on summary conviction to a fine or imprisonment. These facts should be borne in mind when criticism is heard of the branch "folding its hands." The Food Board possessed no right to compel an offender to make a contribu- tion of money to the Red Cross or Patriotic Funds, or to impose anything in the nature of a fine. Powers were limited' to the four corners of the enabling Acts. Before active enforcement could be commenced, it seemed advisable, owing to the fact that what the Board was doing was something absolutely new and without precedent, to take advantage of all means of enlightening the public and to co-ordinate the efforts of Dominion, Provincial, Municipal and other police, and of all officers of a similar nature operating under the Federal and Provincial Goverimients. These officials were furnished with the Orders-in-Council and of the Board relating to foods and correspondence was arranged with all the magistrates throughout the Deminion. In some provinces due respect for Food Board orders was obtained through the local and provincial police, the enthusiasm of the various Crown Attorneys and the interest of the local magistrates. But the full benefit of this was obtained only by personal correspondence and conferences. The absolute need of conservation was placed before them by circular letter and, thanks to the interest of the Secretary of Dominion Police, a meeting of the Chief Constables' Association of Canada was addressed on behalf of the Board at their annual meeting in Hamilton in June. The meeting soon became intensely interested. The result was the hearty co-operation of the 68 Chief Constables, who evinced their sympathy, interest and detennination to do their part as individuals and as officers and to see that others did their part. A list of all the Chief Constables throughout Canada was furnished, and wher- ever any irregularities existed, it was necessary only to communicate with the Chief Constable of the district to secure prompt and generous assistance. The influence soon extended, and in time most of the Provincial and Muni- cipal police were rendering every assistance. A manual was compiled, setting forth the Orders-in-Council and Orders of the Canada Food Board made up to June 22nd. This was distributed widely. Interest had to be kept up and a mass of correspondence followed. Com- plaints of evasions and offences were received almost every day from all over Canada. These had to be considered and placed in hands most com- petent to deal with them. There were some provinces where little or no assistance was rendered, due partly to the small numbers on their forces and due partly to lack of sympathy on the part of those who held office. In most of the provinces throughout Canada, the provincial police rendered invaluable service, but in one or two of the provinces the Board failed absolutely to get any assistance from them; not that the officials were opposed to the work of the Board, but owing to the limited staff, any further work could not be undertaken. Where such a situation existed enforcements had to be done directly by the Board. Little difficulty was experienced where the offender was a licensee, for the Board could cancel or suspend the offender's license. Where the offence was committed by other than a licensed dealer nothing could be accomplished without the assistance of the Court, and if the Court failed to act, the offender went unpunished. Regulations of the Board limiting the spread and profits on foods were closely administered. In the distribution of flour and feed many excessive charges were collected from the offenders, and paid over to those who had been overcharged where the names could be ascertained; and where the names could not be ascertained the amounts in each case were paid over to the Receiver General of Canada. In the produce trade dealers were limited in what they could hold in various seasons of the year and in their profits. Suffi- cient information was on hand to show how carefully all such dealers were kept under control, and how every offence was dealt with and the offender made to return the excessive charges. At first these cases were quite numerous, ] but as the work of the department advanced dealers came to know that the regulations could not be evaded with impunity. One of the regulations, perhaps most difficult to enforce, was the one limiting the payment for "loss off" on eggs. In one month alone, three large companies had their licenses suspended in so far as their egg dealings were concerned. Recently a firm ; disregarding the regulations relating to the payment for "loss off" on eggs, and the limitation of profits, were compelled to return the excess charges and (to make due allowance for the "loss off." As to the successful enforcement of all the regulations governing the limitation of profits, no greater proof existed than the comparative prices prevailing in Canada and the United : States. No branch of enforcement has occupied so much time as that relating to the limitation of profits. i In the spring complaint was made of the quantity of foodstuffs that for (Various reasons had become unfit for human consumption. A careful survey 69 had to be made as to the causes, and means devised of preventing a recurrence. Arrangements were made with officials of the larger cities to send regular reports of food that had been condemned as unfit and of the foods received at incinerators or destructors, with the names of the persons making delivery. When the waste was deemed avoidable, those in fault were prosecuted. Prose- cutions and the careful watch kept had a very beneficial effect, for the propor- tion of waste, with advancing months, became smaller. Prevention of waste was also effected by exercising the powers conferred by Order-in-Coundl P.C. 3430, "Detention of Cars." Heretofore, owing to disputes arising between the consignor and the consignee, many a car containing perishable foods was left on some railway siding and the contents wasted before the parties had come to an agreement. In all such cases consideration had to be given to the rights of the parties, which in the early months of spring and summer occupied a part of every day. Under the old system, when a dispute arose between a consignee and consignor, it frequently happened that the food was permitted to deteriorate and in many cases become a total loss because neither cared to prejudice his case by taking the initiative. Order-in-Council No. 3430 required the agent of all carrying companies to notify the Canada Food Board when any food was held under load at its destination for a period longer than four days. The Food Board communi- cated by wire with the consignee and consignor to ascertain the reason for delay and endeavored to arrange for the unloading of the car. Failing to effect an immediate unloading, the Food Board seized the food and sold it in order to prevent waste. Out of approximately 1,500 cars, it was found necessary to seize not over one per cent. Hundreds of tons have been saved as a result of these orders. Urgent demand overseas for wheat flour, and the scarcity of sugar, made it necessary to limit holdings. Orders No. 30 and 31, commonly referred to as the "Hoarding Orders," were made. Thousands of investigations were made, and in one week alone upwards of 600,000 pounds of sugar were seized and returned to regular trade channels. The final draft of an order represents only a small part of the work of preparation. There was no precedent to go by as far as policy was con- cerned and constant revision of drafts was inevitable. That the orders ii general were clear is evidenced by the limited divergence of opinion regarding their fulfilment. In all matters arising out of the general food plans, which involved knowledge of Canadian law, this department lent its services. Many requests were received from persons, under a mis-understanding of the functions and duties of the Board, appealing for redress for wrongs, oi fancied wrongs, done them by others in the trade. The Order-in-Councd authorizing the Canada Food Board to require any persons dealing in food or foodstuffs to obtain a license did not give the Board discretion to withhold the license. Many people erroneously thought that any person having ob- tained a license must have first satisfied the Board as to his financial standing and experience in the trade. A matter that demanded much attention was the illegal export of flour and sugar from the border towns to the United States. Every pound sent out of Canada not only lessened by that much the amount available for use in Canada, but interfered with the rationing of sugar in the border states. 60 A result of this was the request from the United States Food Administration, on account of the interference with their plans, to have the export prohibited. Wheat flour was also being illegally exported. Three districts were found to contain the chief offenders. In one place long established merchants were lending their hands to the export. Several of their businesses were closed and licenses suspended for a time. In another district it was necessary to put the population on sugar "rations," which were continued up to the signing of the Armistice. Here, too, licenses of offenders were suspended, and several shipments of sugar seized. In correcting many of the above objections along the International Boundary, the local officials of the Food Administration rendered every assistance. Incomplete records show the following number of fines imposed throughout Canada by Provincial authorities and the suspensions of licenses by the Canada Food Board's Enforcement Division: — Fines 142 Imprisonments 4 Suspensions 133 Confiscations 17 Forced Sales 8 INFORMATION DIVISION AND CONSERVATION PUBLICITY SECTION Without the whole-hearted support of the Press of Canada the work of the Canada Food Board would have been infinitely more difficult. News, editorials and helpful information thoroughly impressed public opinion with the importance of food production and conservation. Newspapers were prompt to publish the gist of the orders and regulations the Board found necessary to impose, and editorially to support the enforcement of them. Helpful, constructive criticism was welcomed, and it was not lacking. Educational work was divided into two classes: — 1. Dissemination of news and information through the medium of the press. 2. Paid advertising and the circulation of pamphlets, literature and posters. Expenditure was restricted to certain well defined objectives, such as putting before the farming class the need and opportunity for increased pro- duction; the meaning of the food conservation pledge campaign; and the : introduction of new services for fish. Posters were placed without cost through the co-operation of the bill-posting companies, the Post Office Depart- ment, and Railway Companies. In some cases printing was contributed free. In all ?86,422.01 was expended in paid publicity by the food control organi- zation since its authorization in June, 1917. Pamphlets, leaflets and reports, in both French and English, and special issues of the Canada Gazette, totalling 4,000,000 were printed and circulated. Distribution was made through the Provincial Committees; at the annual fairs held throughout the country; by the large special mailing list within the office; by various voluntary agencies, social societies and clubs, and through retail merchants. The "Canadian Food Bulletin" was published periodically, giving a summary of the food situation, activities of the organizations and news itema 61 of interest, with summaries of orders and regulations. The "Bulletin" was mailed to legislators, judges, educationalists, clergymen, crown attorneys, mayors, chief constables, boards of trade, bank managers, officers of the federal and provincial agricultural departments, public libraries, secretaries of labor unions, leading business firms, the members of the National Council of Women, Daughters of the Empire, W.C.T.U., Women's Institutes, clubs, merchants' associations, commercial travellers' associations and other organized bodies, and to every newspaper and magazine in the Dominion. Special issues of the Canada Gazette containing the Orders-in-Council bearing upon food subjects, totalling nearly 500,000 copies, were sent to members of ParUament, and Legislatures, crown attorneys, chief constables, police magistrates, provincial police officers and officers of the Royal Borth West Mounted Police, members of the trades affected and to all newspapers. A French edition, the "Bulletin Canadien des Vivres," was similarly distributed, chiefly in the province of Quebec. Translation into French was done by the ofiBce staff. Press publicity was so organized that new developments in connection with the Food Board's work and the food situation were transmitted promptly by telegraph to daily papers, both French and English, through the Canadian Press, Limited. This was supplemented by educational material sent by mail each week. Rural newspapers were supphed with matter pertaining to agricultural production, war gardening, food economy and general news items on the food situation prepared in brief paragraph form, summaries of new orders of the Board and editorial matter. Special illustrated articles were prepared for monthly magazines. A memorandum of publications is given in the appendices. Through the Motion Picture Distribution Committee, Messrs. Jule and J. J. Allen, Mr. Clair Hague and Mr. Wm. Redpath, the distribution of motion picture films was effected without cost. Two food films which were secured by the British Ministry of Food were shown throughout Canada, one of them In 164 theatres and the other in 115 theatres. CONSERVATION PUBLICITY SECTION.— The Conservation Publicity Section of the Board was formed in March to enlist the aid of the army of retail merchants in the Dominion. It was felt that no class of persons possessed more collective influence for directing public sentiment through the medium of their store windows, their newspaper advertising and their countless hand bills, catalogues and pamphlets. This vast influence was turned to account through supplying merchants with phrases for display in every possible place and position which would carry the message of the Food Board on food saving and avoidance of waste. These went not simply into the homes but into the very kitchens of the people. Informative phrases were used by thousands in newspaper advertising and in catalogues and pamphlets; food window displays by the score were made; over half a million leaflets were distributed through stores; employees were given talks to enable them to discuss intelligently with customers the why and the wherefore of the regula- tions of the Food Board; posters and window cards were placed in stores, day schools, Sunday schools, blacksmith shops and other prominent places, with much miscellaneous publicity on similar lines which retail merchants themselves undertook through the suggestions conveyed to them from the Board. 62 The Section was almost self-contained, and was independent of all other classes of publicity. Its scope widened from month to month throughout the spring and summer until by July almost the whole of the special article writing for the recognized food trade journals, the more important daily newspapers from coast to coast, and the numerous miscellaneous magazines which desired particularized information, was done in the Section. The last named class included journals specializing in financial, commercial, trade, technical, school, educational and municipal fields. In addition, pithy monthly sketches called "The Why in Food Board Work" were sent out to retail merchants for insertion in the local press, and brief, pointed articles were contributed to the numerous house organs published by the larger firms in the Dominion. Thus, a varied and various form of activity grew out of the original plan, which had the advantage that the information supplied from Ottawa was made of intimate family interest to distant readers by the fact that it was published in a local organ or magazine linked with the familiar name of a known retailer. The work grew directly out of inquiries which were made by firms and persons through the instrumentality of this slogan publicity, and was inva- riably aimed to give plain guidance and enlightenment on defined points of interest in the rapidly extending work of food control. So that the work of the Section might be properly carried out, the country v/as divided into twenty-five divisions, and a prominent retail merchant in each division was asked to accept the appointment of Divisional Representative. A retail merchant was appointed by him in each city and town in the division, who, in turn, appointed a local committee of retail merchants, covering different branches of business, to carry out the work. On this basis the Section was definitely represented in about 700 cities and towns throughout Canada, assuring the co-operation of approximately 25.000 to 30,000 retail merchants. Educational phrases and matter were distributed, and when incorporated in advertising space bore the words — "Issued by the Canada Food Board." All advertising through the Section was a gift of the retail merchants. Several gas and electrical companies installed demonstration equipments. Colored posters illustrating production of foreign countries, as compared with Canada, were prepared. Pamphlets were sent to retailers as required, making a continuous campaign of informative matter being placed before the people through the medium of retail merchants. The Advisory Publicity Committee was appointed in March for certain advertising through newspapers, posters, street cars and other publicity. All contracts were placed through advertising agencies at the regular com- mercial rate. DOMESTIC ECONOMY SECTION AND WOMEN'S WORK The aims of these sections have been to secure the co-operation of the : women in the homes and the sympathy of all those engaged in the handling of foods. The Domestic Economy Section also hoped to create a better spirit towards general economy in foods and to offset the wastefulness with which Canada has been charged. To accomplish this it was necessary to work very closely with the Information Department, with the women's organiza- tions and with that part of the educational programme of the various provinces ! directly concerned with home economics. With this in view bulletins were prepared urging the use of such special foods as fish, wheat flour substitutes, fancy meats, potatoes, vegetables and meat canning. Pamphlets were pre- pared on canning, drying and storing of fruits and vegetables. Over 125 meetings were addressed by the Director of Domestic Economy. These, convened by various organizations, were largely for women. Country Women's Clubs were reached through conventions in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta. The Domestic Economy Section was represented at annual fairs. Great assistance was given by House- hold Science Colleges and schools, particularly of the University of Toronto, Guelph and Macdonald College, P.Q. Household Science teachers were kept in touch with the Board. They emphasized the saving of exportable foods and the avoidance of waste. From the stimulation given to saving some citizens report a lessening of garbage waste of between fifty and seventy-five per cent of pre-war amounts. There now prevails a greater simplification of meals and a lessened number of the courses served. Sufficient has been learned during these days of stress and strain to show what could be secured were the food problems of the homes to be considered a permanent part of the nation's economic policy. WOMEN'S WORK. — Food control was started with the message: "Remember that the WOMEN are the real Food Controllers of Canada." Now that the results of the long months of work are apparent, it may be said with equal truth: "The women have been the real Food Controllers of Can- ada." To have attempted to control or distribute the country's food sup- plies without the whole-hearted assistance of the two million odd house- keepers of the Dominion would have been like trying to make bricks without straw. By the arts of peace and the practice of simple, homely virtues they rendered a service to humanity that will ever redound to their credit. It would be well-nigh impossible to mention all the organizations that have shared in this work. Women, organized or unorganized, rose to the occasion and did what was needed when it was needed. There were times when they wondered why they had to do certain things, but looking back in thij light of fuller knowledge, it will be seen that they "builded better than they knew." Food control was virtually started with the "pledge card" campaign, which covered 936,500 English and 143,000 French homes; it was the corner- stone of all that came after. Without exception the women's organizations stood behind the cause of food conservation, in diffusing information and stimulating to best endeavor. They turned to the study of general thrift questions. Platform work proved one of the important factors in food control, and here, too, they rendered valuable service. To the newspaper women of Canada a special tribute is due. Publicity has been one of the main stays of food control. The greatest help was given by the women writers, all of whom showed initiative and ready spirit. They helped to divert the problems of the home from humdrum backwaters to the steady stream of live, interesting, reading matter. Women whose services cannot be overlooked are the household science teachers. For many years they had sought tq improve economic conditiona in the home and to raise the standard of household work. Acting in con- junction with the colleges from which they graduated, they were a tremendous force in spreading the gospel of thrift. Demonstration done by them in the Provinces was of the greatest value. 64 Home conservation was woman's principal, but not by any means her entire contribution to the cause of feeding the Allies and their armies. She figured prominently in the production campi.i^n, too. Thousands of young girls and women, emulating their British and French sisters, worked shoulder to shoulder with men, harvesting, picking fruit, hoeing — in fact, doing everything that seemed essential for the success of the 1918 harvest. One of the lasting benefits of this outdoor work was the impetus given to garden- ing and the keeping of chickens, bees, rabbits or other things which materially contribute to the country's food supply. Undoubtedly one of the best and most lasting results of food control is the community spirit which has been fostered among women and which exhibited itself so clearly during the past year through the medium of canning and cooking centres. An era of better and more thrifty housewives has dawned. Food control has taught them to be more self-contained. Women have come to know the value of home-grown foods — to appreciate the fruit and vegetables of their own backyards and the fish caught in Canadian waters. It is question- able if one woman out of ten could have estimated a fortnight's food supply in advance for her household before the food restrictions caused her to figure it all out and put her housekeeping on a business basis. Better shopping methods, more first-hand buying, more evenly balanced meals, a keener sense of food values and better health have all come in the wake of women's efforts to comply with the Food Board's rulings and requests. "SOLDIERS OF THE SOIL" The "Soldiers of the Soil" movement was organized under the direction of the Canada Food Board in February, 1918, after consideration by members of the Board and consultation with Provincial Premiers and others, who realized that older boys could make a definite contribution towards greater production. Because of the shortage of farm laborers and the urgent need of organized effort in all parts of the Dominion, steps were taken before seeding time to enlist this army of teen-age boys. The appeal was launched almost simultaneously in each province of the Dominion for all boys 15-19 years of age, particularly boys of the High Schools, Collegiate Institutes and Academies to give up their vacation plans and go out for three months or more to help farmers to produce food. It was not entirely an experiment. In a few parts of Canada groups had alreay been organized. Results secured have more than justified the undertaking. Mr. Taylor Statten was appointed National Superintendent-Executive of the movement. Provincial Super- intendents were appointed by him for each province after consultation with premiers and heads of departments concerned. As a result of the enrolment campaign, approximately 25,000 boys were enlisted. In certain of the Provinces the Provincial Government had already established agencies through which the work of placement could be done, and in these cases the boys were officially assigned to farmers through that Department. The Ontario Trades and Labor Branch and the Manitoba Department of Immigration and Colonization rendered signal service. In the other provinces it was necessary to establish practically a new Department for the temporary requirements of the "S.O.S." Applications were procured from farmers directly. In some parts, at the outset, farmers were sceptical of the value of boy labor, and the co-operation of Farmers' Institutes and 65 Association had to be sec|ured in order to encourage the use of boy labor for more extensive seeding operations than had been originally planned by the far- mers. Bronze badges of honor were presented, on behalf of the Food Board, to boys who had served three months on the farms. These were greatly appreciated. The following summary shows the results by provinces:— No. of No. of Provii.ce Boys Boys Enrolled Placed British Columbia 1,800 1,137 Alberta 1,218 1,132 Saskatchewan 1,925 1,765 Manitoba 1,650 1,060 Ontario 10,324 10,324 Quebec 1,560 1,560 New Brunswick 855 690 Nova Scotia 2,293 2,003 Prince Edward Island 760 760 22,885 20,431 The "Soldiers of the Soil" movement in the province of Quebec fell naturally into two divisions — that among the French-Canadian boys, under the direction of Mr. A. Desilets, B. S. A., Director of Farm Labor for the province, and that among the English-speaking boys, under the direction of Mr. Donald MacLeod. Fifty-one schools and academies were visited and the movement explained to the boys, more than 800 at once expressing their willingness to en- gage in farm work for the summer. Under Mr. Desilets and the general direction of the Farm Labor Office, some 840 local committees on greater production became interested in the work. The number of boys on the farms, including those working for relatives and friends, who qualified for the special badge of honor runs into several thousands. Acknowledgement should be made of the Provincial Departments of Agriculture, Labor and Education; the National Council of Young Men's Christian Associations, whose staff was loaned without charge; leaders of Boy Scout Organizations, who recognized the importance of the movement and who rendered efficient service, and to hundreds of volunteer committee men. VACANT LOT AND HOME GARDEN SECTION The vacant lot and home garden movement directed by the Food Board gave it an authoritative influence. Mayors and presidents of Boards of Trade, executive heads of horticulutral associations, agricultural institutions and Provincial Departments of Agriculture were urged to further garden work. The clergy, the press, Rotarian Clubs, retail merchants' associations, publicity clubs, women's organizations and a score of other public bodies were similarly interested. Police and firemen were individually circularized. Many of these were known to be expert gardeners, and vacant lots cultivated by them proved not only to be models but were an incentive to others in the community. School children were reached. A gratifying featre of the movement was the patriotic response of the women. 66 Railroad corporations were encouraged to release their idle land in urban oommunities and to secure the co-operation of their employees in cultivation. Retail merchants were asked to feature advertisements of garden products and implements. Many church garden clubs were formed as a result of an appeal to the clergy. Specially written newspaper articles were sent out on gardening. Printed matter prepared by horticultural authorities was freely distributed to garden v/orkers. Several street car companies gave space in the spring for the slogan: "Grow Your Own Vegetables." Four-minute speakers appeared before moving picture audiences. Clergymen featured the work in their sermons. The policy of central direction was valuable. It was especially evident in explaining to new communities how to create an organization, to solve such problems as fencing, the supply of tools, the conversion of former flower gardens into vegetable plots, fertilization, the growing only of standard and nutritive vegetables, and in discouraging amateurs from cultivating too large areas. On result attending this movement is worthy of note. Possibly five per cent of those who took up the work were uninformed gardeners; a season or two found ninety-five per cent of them more or less expert. Attrac- tive moving pictures showing methods of backyard gardening, prepared by the Ontario Department of Agriculture, were placed at the Board's disposal. Reels were secured and widely circulated. A trip of inspection to the West was made and a visit paid to every city of importance between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Coast. In some communities every available vacant lot was brought under cultivation. The money value of the garden truck grown is not easily estimated. It was practically impossible to get satisfactory returns from isolated communities The 1918 growth was possibly twice the total of 1917. 67 PART III o I— t < lit X! Q Ph Q> 1 a a 1 g -1 « eg a 1 rt a a o o o 1 O Hn o O a ^2,^ 1-1 g iz; S^ eg 'Z^ •^ H g> eg 00 lO 0) 00 « t- 05 a> ID a> 1-1 t-H bOi-l T3 1-1 T-l t-i rH 1 d a s CD 1 o o 22 M OJ ^^ ^ eg M iH ^ i-H U3 00 in O 00 th la tH (U IC o T! tH iH rH ►o "^ S rH O 4 O N Oi iii- w rH . •3 ^ O d § Q 1 pq i 3 (U 1 1 o o 4fr "S o ^ 1 1 1 O o -a 1 5 i ■^^ — ' ' ^ ■^^ 79 Appendix IX RETAIL PRICES OF STAPLE FOODS IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, SEPTEMBER 15th, 1918. The following table of the cost of staple articles of food, averaged in sixty cities in Canada and forty cities in the United States, was compiled from data furnished by the Labor Departments of both countries, and is revised to terms of quantities consumed by the average family in one week:— Bread 15 pounds. Flour 10 Butter 3 Milk 6 quarts. . Cheese Eggs Bacon Beef Pork Chops . Potatoes 2 Beans (dry). Rice Tea Coffee Sugar Lard pounds, dozen . . pound . . pounds, pound . . pecks. . pound . . pounds, i pound. ... 4 pounds. ... 2 " Prunes 1 pound . . Canada U.S. 60 Cities IfO Cities $ 1.170 % 1.485 680 680 1.486 1.776 744 1.029 (Imperial Measure) 643 720 1.065 1.172 511 562 1.363 1.426 403 461 707 702 (Imperial Measure). 169 169 238 274 303 332 114 076 472 384 740 672 183 174 $10,991 $12,094 In the above comparison five items out of the seventeen are slightly lower in the United States than in Canada — lard, coffee, potatoes, sugar and prunes. Coffee, sugar and prunes are naturally lower in price in the United States than in Canada, which is further from the source of supply. The United States is one of the world's greatest producers of lard. So Appendix X THE CANADIAN FARMERS' WAR RECORD CROPS Winter Wheat . Spring Wheat . Oats. Barley Rye Buckwheat . Potatoes. . . Hay Flaxseed . Acreage Acres Planted 1918 416,615 16,937,287 14,790,336 3,153,711 555,294 548,097 656,958 8,225,034 1,068,120 Per Cent of 1914 42.8 181.7 146.9 210.8 499.0 154.6 138.0 102.8 98.5 Peodx;ction No. of Bushels 1918 6,960,200 203,355,400 456,733,900 83,262,500 10,375,500 11,469,600 79,892,000 Tons 13,684,700 7,695,000 Per Cent of 1914 33.4 144.7 145.8 230.0 514.4 132.9 93.2 133.8 107.2 Acreage final, erops estimated. Production of Potatoes and Hay final. Yield of other Appendix XI CANADA'S MARKETS— DURING AND AFTER WAR The huge market for all classes of Canada's produce is outlined in the following tables. Table A shows the yearly imports into Allied countries in the 3-5-year period before the war and requirements in 1917-18. shows Canada's exports similarly compared, with precentages. Table B TABLE A. Beef, pounds Pork Products, pounds. . . Butter, pounds Condensed Milk, pounds. Eggs, dozen Cheese, pounds Wheat, bushels Barley, bushels Oats, bushels Rye, bushels Allies' pre-War Imports. 1,127,655,000 908,245,000 481,000,000 150,000,000 241,554,000 257,985,000 312,684,000 54,162,000 97,848,000 5,549,000 Allies' War Requirements 1,569,356,000 1,520,000,000 501,000,000 250,000,000 241,554,000 268,800,000 525,085,000 69,145,000 171,628,000 28,271,000 81 TABLE B. Canada's pre-War Net Exports. Beef, pounds Pork Products, pounds 3,000,000 Butter, pounds 6,000,000 Condensed Milk, pounds 4,405,000 Eggs, dozen 12,000,000 Cheese, pounds 140,000,000 Wheat, bushels 94,686,000 Barley, bushels 5,508,000 Oats, bushels 15,552,000 Rye, bushels 788,000 Percentage of Supply Canada's to Allies' War War Net Exports. Needs. 35,000,000 2.23 130,000,000 8.55 7,000,000 1.40 15,754,000 6.30 3,000,000 1.24 180,000,000 66.96 222,000,000 42.28 9,678,000 13.99 64,992,000 37.87 1,130,000 4.00 Appendix XII CANADIAN IMPORTS OF FOODSTUFFS The tables below show the chief foodstuffs imported into Canada during the year 1913-14, the last full fiscal period before the war disturbed the import and export trade. BUTTER Lbs. Imported from within the empire 6,884,529 From foreign countries 1,104,740 7,989,269 Value $ 2,081,989 Lbs. New Zealand supplies the chief part of these imports 6,018,022 The United States came second, and the United Kingdom a good third with 767,131 CHEESE Lbs. Imported frorri within the empire 80,075 From foreign countries 1,415,683 1,495,758 Value $302,153 The order of importance of countries exporting to Canada was: Italy, United States, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 82 EGGS Dozen Imported from within the empire 69,193 From foreign countries 13,170,918 13,240,111 Value $ 2,783,665 The United States sent in 13,158,558 LAKD Lbs. Imported from within the empire 73,623 From foreign countries 12,086,258 12,159,881 Value $ 1,354,442 Nearly the whole of this came from the United States. BACON AND HAM Lbs. Imported from within the empire 51,940 From foreign countries 13,502,454 13,554,394 Value $ 1,946,378 BEEF — FRESH AND FROZEN Lbs. Imported from within the empire 422,539 F^om foreign countries 187,168 609,707 Value $ 57,712 BEEF — SALTED IN BARRELS Lbs. Imported from within the empire 12,652 From foreign countries 1,006,207 1,018,857 Value ? 69,057 83 MEATS (general) The accompanjdng table shows the total values in 1913 and 1916 of meats imported by various countries from Canada: 1913 1916 $ $ United Kingdom 6,998,976 33,152,107 Gibraltar 968,643 Newfoundland 117,336 100,928 France 42,111 2,083,727 Germany 3,099 Netherlands 60,660 Italy 151,439 Portugal 1,000 United States 85,835 1,639,081 Appendix XIII CHIEF CANADIAN FOOD EXPORTS The following tables show the totals of foodstuffs exported from Canada to those countries which were best customers in 1913, the year before war, and the quantities for 1916, a typical war year. BUTTEIB 1918 1916 Lbs. Lbs. Total 828,323 3,441,183 United Kingdom 681 1,950,137 British South Africa 393,634 British West Indies 86,552 88,066 Newfoundland 233,372 366,804 United States 304,503 205,029 CnJSESE 1913 1916 Lbs. Lbs. Total 155,216,392 168,961,583 United Kingdom 153,886,885 167,414,411 Newfoundland 463,630 287,442 United States 261,682 103,308 EGGS 1913 1916 Doz. Doz. Total 147,419 7,898,322 United Kingdom 51,294 7,565,884 United States 9,852 270,978 84 LAIiD 1913 1916 Lbs. Lbs. Total 46,638 24,998 United Kingdom 34,500 4,809 BACON Lbs. Lbs. Total 36,212,190 144,918,867 United Kingdom 35,963,906 144,150,309 United States 151,182 615,901 France 68,691 78,192 BEEF Lbs. Lbs. Total 1,570,979 47,422,564 United Kingdom 782,920 13,912,371 Gibraltar 8,014,821 France 13,729,614 Italy 1,706,407 United States 19,474 9,433,072 MEATS, CANNED Lbs. Lbs. Total 254,937 11,031,893 United Kingdom 244,732 9,759,909 France 468,237 Netherlands 582,336 United States'. 2,661 119,681 HAM 1913 1916 Lbs. Lbs. Total 2,476,654 8,732,857 United Kingdom 2,423,074 7,367,160 France 29,650 503,432 United States 3,455 832,523 MUTTON Lbs. Lbs. Total 45,914 99,593 Newfoundland 9,937 40,553 United States 34,340 45,978 85 PORK Lbs. Lbs. Total 521,533 13,142,196 United Kingdom 4,063 10,198,476 France 29,014 444,471 Germany 10,810 United States : 57,411 2,268,989 Appendix XIV MEMORANDUM ON PAMPHLETS DISTRIBUTED FROM THE FOOD BOARD OFFICE SINCE AUGUST, 1917 Distributed Pledge Cards— English 936,500 Pledge Cards — French 143,000 "War Meals"— English 749,950 "War Meals"— French 98,600 Restaurant Cards — English 18,800 Restam-ant Cards — French 2,500 "Speaker's Handbook" — English 17,775 "Speaker's Handbook" — French 2,300 Canning and Drying Bulletin — English 442,200 Canning and Drying Bulletin — French 71,200 "Eat More Fish"— English 100,000 "Eat More Fish"— French 41,650 Marine Department Fish Book 1,500 "One Week's Budget" 75,000 "Don't Waste Food" 99,000 Glucose Pamphlet 185,200 "Food Laws" 31,000 "What is Food Control?" (Booklet) 10,000 Jam Making Pamphlet 98,788 Canon Snowdon's Sermon on Food Saving 28,800 Recipes for Canning Meat, Poultry and Fish 23,000 Hon. W. J. Hanna's Report 24,400 Grocery Trade Report 2,650 "Suggestions" 49,500 Report of the Milk Committee 4,000 "Food Control or Famine?" 10,000 Report of the Cereal Package Committee 3,750 Report of the Produce Committee 3,300 "What Canada Has Done" 145,000 Dr. Nadeau's Pamphlet 9,500 "Fish Alive-0!" 115,000 "How to Handle Frozen Fish" 7,000 "Hints on Frozen Fish" 7,000 Garbage Utilization Bulletin 2,000 " The Need of the Hour" 145,000 86 "Potatoes and How to Cook Them" 200,000 "Use Thrift and Live Better" (Pamphlet) 100,000 Fancy Meats Booklet 100,000 Livestock Folder 200,000 Codfish Pamphlet 100,000 Food Board Orders 426,000 Orders-in-Council 162,000 MEMORANDUM ON POSTERS DISTRIBUTED SINCE AUGUST, 1917 6 One-sheet Posters 9,000 "Save the Food" 33,000 "Kitchen, Key to Victory" 31,000 "Soldiers of the Soil" 74,668 Vegetable Cards 30,000 Fish Cards 60,000 "Canada's Pork Opportunity"— English 4,950 "Canada's Pork Opportunity" — French 4,000 "Canada's Beef Opportunity" — English 4,950 "Canada's Beef Opportunity" — French 4,000 "Canada's Butter Opportunity" — English 4,950 "Canada's Butter Opportunity" — French 4,000 "Canada's Egg Opportunity"— English 4,950 "Canada's Egg Opportunity" — French 4,000 Fish and Vegetable Meals— English 13,000 Fish and Vegetable Meals — French 2,500 "We Must Feed Daddy, Too" 14,000 Recipe Book Posters 15,200 "We Are Saving You"— English 18,450 "We Are Saving You"— French 2,500 "A Good Butcher"— English 18,450 "A Good Butcher"— French 2,500 "Hoarding"— English 23,450 "Hoarding"— French 1,000 "Waste Not— Want Not"— English 23,450 "Waste Not— Want Not"— French 1,000 Note. — A consignment of posters was destroyed by fire in the Grand Trunk freight shed, Ottawa, August 13th, 1918. a