The cost of living

[RammyLad1]

I have been looking through the newspaper reports of the Ramsbottom Observer from January 1915. One article states that the price of food rose dramatically as a result of the war, in particular the cost of tea which had a war duty of 3d per Ib put on the price. Were all foodstuffs subject to a duty being put on them ? I would have thought that price rises would been down to food shortages rather than taxes.

Duncan

[Guest]

Hi Duncan. There is a bit of an explanation here

Probably not the whole story, but a start?

Food and Drink

There was a lack of certain food substances during the First World War however these lackings were NOT major issues to the survival of people, there was no time during WWI when people didn't have enough food available to survive. That was not a circumstance that occurred. The government had pre-empted shortages to many supplies such as those to Wheat and Sugar of which the government made bulk purchases early on as to form stockpiles that could last the country. Also shortages of items such as Indian Jute and Russian Flax (used for tents) were pre-empted with huge quanities being brought due to the fear of a loss of trade routes with both countries. These fears were mainly due to the use of U-Boats by Germany.

There was inflation during the First World War, however this was expected during a period of political and military uncertainty. Between July 1914 and June 1916 overall there was 59% inflation. By the Spring of 1917 bread cost twice as much as it had in 1914. The government intervened here, as bread was part of the staple diet for many British people. In the Spring of 1917 they lowered the price of 4lb of Bread to 9d (from 1 shilling), from November a similar subsidy was placed upon potatoes.

There was one main event which seriously threatened the food supplies to Great Britain; this was the sustained and largescale submarine warfare that was imposed upon Britain in the late Autumn of 1916 onwards. This method of intercepting all supplies to Britain (using unrestricted submraine warfare, which many saw as a crime against humanity as it meant that no ship, no matter what its cargo was, was safe) caused wholesale disruption to British food supplies from abroard, which almost cripplng consequences. Britain was left, at one period, with 4 days of sugar supplie remaining and 9 weeks of Wheat supplies left.

Rationing was introduced at a local level in some areas in 1916 and was increased further in 1917 in many countries after the idea was put forwards by Lord Rhondda (Lord Devonport's replacement in the job of food controller with responsibility for distribution, after Devonport failed to make any substancial difference to anything).

Sir George Prothero was appointed as the President of the Board of Agriculture in 1916, his main duty was to increase domestic food production. He did this job successfully as he helped convert an extra 3 million acres of land for agrilcultural usage. This equated into a yearly output of 1 million tons of wheat and 1.3 million tonnes of potatoes being produced.

The government implemented a major crackdown on the consumption of alcohol and its effects. (Lloyd George, War Memoir ½ P173, 'To ensure a more rigid control of drinking facilities in the munition areas.') It was begun due to issues with sailors and the navy, many of whom turned up drunk or alcohol assisted to their duties. The government chose to restrict the oppurtunity to drink in coastal towns, and further to this began expanding scheme countrywide. Between 1914 and 1918 convictions for drunkennes dropped hugely from 4872 in Britain in 1914 to only 804 in 1918.

Due to the efforts of the ministers, Britain became 80% self-sufficent by 1918 in terms of food production.

Mike

[RammyLad1]

Thanks Mike - the town did suffer from rationing during the latter stages of the war.

Duncan

[keithfazzani]

A thought the rapid inflation must have in itself been a cause of "self rationing", people's incomes are unlikely to have matched price increases and there was already much poverty before the war. Does anyone have any information on that aspect? After all many families had lost their main breadwinner to the forces and the amounts sent home were not great, did these sums grow with inflation, doubtful I would have thought.

[John_Hartley]

people's incomes are unlikely to have matched price increases

Not necessarily. By the time of the war, trade unions represented many working in industry and they took full advantage of their "muscle" to advance the cause of their members. Those were the days!

[dycer]

I have an Aunt's October 1918 Ration Book(her Husband was in France).

In order to use she had to to register with local retailers i.e..meat,butter/margarine,sugar,jam,bacon,lard and tea.

As an aside I have her Husband's January 1918 Leave Sugar Permit which entitled him to 2oz per day whilst on leave.

Whilst I accept there was food price inflation during WW1 surely the Housewives would have avoided any profiteering retailer assuming the Authorities "missed him"?

George

[keithfazzani]

Not necessarily. By the time of the war, trade unions represented many working in industry and they took full advantage of their "muscle" to advance the cause of their members. Those were the days!

But soldiers pay didn't increase, did it? Were the allowances made to families increased? I ask because I don't know.