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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1962)
"MEDFORDalTRIBUNE SECTION D MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, JUNE 14. 1962 PAGES 1 to 8 Eastern European Satellites Not Without Food Shortages By GERD KRIWANEK Poland: The "scare" buying United Pres International of flour, sugar and other Vienna iLPI) The Eastern ! staples is considered unwar European satellites, like their j ranted by Western observers. Russian taskmasters, are not ; As in all the satellites, rumors without their food shortages today. But, as in the Soviet Union, current shortages are neither critical nor without lolution. This is the opinion of sea toned East European observ ers here. Exactly what solutions will be employed remains to be een. In the meantime, the satellite rulers know, or should know, what not to do namely not to repeat the er rors that have led to the thortages, in varying degrees, from Vladivostok to the Ber lin wall. It is too easy to blame it 11 on communist agricultural theory. This, in fact, has been (uccessful at times, though it cannot be absolved of all blame in the present circum stances. ' But observers of the East ern bloc are inclined to at tribute the current shortages to a number of factors, all of which - except the weather -item from communist de cisions about how life should be run on communist terri tory. Cannot Produce . Boiled down to the briefest analysis, they say, it means that communist collective farms simply cannot produce as much and as well as pri vately owned farms. It is also too easy, these ob servers believe, to say - as Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev said last week -that the Western "imperial ists," by their alleged threat of war, have forced the com munist camp to forego butter tor guns. But there is an element of truth in that argument. Rus sia, as much as America, finds itself under a compulsion to be militarily strong. Soviet strategists do not expect to be taken as seriously as they are now taken if the country's in dustrial might does not pro duce armaments. But armaments, while the costliest item in the Soviet budget, are not the only one detracting from the food sup ply. Also Helped The tremendous efforts in space exploration and. to a lesser extent, the need to sub sidize underdeveloped ' coun tries and earn foreign ex change have also helped to make the Soviet larder bare. What is true of the Soviet Onion is true, in varying de grees, of the satellites. If Czechoslovakia is to produce, say, machine tools, it may have to cut down on sausages. From a communist point of view, this should not happen. The Eastern bloc, under the collectivization of agriculture, Js supposed to be able to pro duce more butter as well as more guns. In practice, this has not worked. If it had Khrushchev would not have had to order in creases in the price of meat and butter, observers said. But he did, and the Soviet satel lites are now feeling the rep , ercussions. Buy Staples Polish housewives went to state stores in droves to buy flour, sugar and other stples in large quantities after Khrushchev's price rise an nouncement. Rationing was imposed a day or two later. In East Germany, where many children go withou' as much milk as they should have and meat is found in butcher shops only once a week, the regime imposed "public control," or rationing, of these products last Wednes day Thus far. in Czechoslovakia. Hungary, Romania and Bul garia, there has been no an nouncement of, new controls. But unofficial rationing has already been in force on some products for years - thanks to the law of supply and demand. Breakdown A country-by-country break down of the food situation in the satellites follows: East Germany: Last Wednes day East German Communists admitted to widespread milk, butter and meat shortages. The party newspaper, Neues Deutschland, announced the' Imminent imposition of "pub-' ic control." It said cattle slaughtering' was far below what it should j have been, private sources : said many butcher shops had ! meat only on week ends. These sources said pntaiors - as usual - are scarce. The weekly per capita allotment, of 10 pounds often fails'to he met and more drastic official rationing may be imposed East Germans who write to relatives in the West ask (or such staples as dried peas and beans, which are considered a luxury, while in the West they cost next to nothing invariably touch off a rush on the items that are supposed to be getting scarcer or more ex pensive. The Soviet price hikes set off the latest rumors. Poland is, in fact, the least collectivized of the satellites and production has risen in recent years. The govern ment's decision to limit house wives' purchases of flour, sugar and other items was said to have been taken to ease the strain on the transport fa cilities that bring these prod ucts to the stores. Nevertheless, Poland is not without its farm problems. Czechoslovakia: The present situation does not appear criti cal. Meat, as in all the satel lites, is perennially scarce. But it was apparently scarcer last summer, when travelers from the West reported long queues of housewives in front of butcher shops to obtain a slice of meat for the week end. Shortages However, in recent months, shortages of flour, vegetables and fruit have also been re ported. Czechs' who are fond of dumplings and other pasty dishes, were advised by party officials to alter their diets because of the grain situation. As in the case of Poland, the Czech food supply still de pends to a considerable extent on private farms. In the prov ince of Slovakia, for instance, between 33 and 40 per cent of milk and pork production was private. However, author ities say 95 per cent of the country's arable land is col lectivized. Hungary: Western reporters in Hungary do not report any food shortages that could be termed critical. In fact, they say, the average Hungarian is eating better than before the 1956 uprising - and probably as a result of it. Diets Offset The rise in wages has out stripped the rise in food costs. Traditional drab diets of the poor are now offset by occa sional splurges at restaurants. Factory, office and school meals are cheap but plain; ;' Imported food from caviar to cognac is not hard to come by in Budapest and the larger towns, though, of course, it is out of the reach of most Hun garians, who spend 40 to 50 per cent of their income on plain food. Meal, dairy products and eggs - eggs sometimes disap pear from store shelves for months at a time - are the perennial scare foods. No one is starving, but official sources say agricultural production has fallen since collectiviza- tion. Romania: The difficulties here, recent travelers to the West say, are due mainly to distribution. Fertile Land Romania abounds in fertile land. It claims to have raised farm production considerably since the Communist takeover. Meat, however, is usually in short supply. Bulgaria: Meat and dairy products are in very short sup ply because of what authori ties say was a "miscalcula tion" in assuring fodder. Fruit and vegetables, however, are said to be in good supply. But the country as a whole now faces a major drought. There has been no rainfall for the past month. Albania: There has been little news in recent weeks on harvest prospects and the food situation in the tiny Balkan state, aside from the usual party appeals for fulfillment of agricultural quotas. It is always claimed pro duction targets st oversub scribed. Only 12 per cent of this mountainous land is ar able and 80 per cent of that was collectivized in 1958. Be tween 1960 and 1965 agricul tural production is supposed to increase 64 percent, a mod est aim by communist stand ards. Albanians thrive mainly on millet, which grows under the worst climate conditions, and fish. Truck Dynamiter Enters Prison to Commence Term Salem-Wl'-Levi McDonald, former Portland stereotyper negotiator, entered the Ore gon Penitentiary Tuesday night, a day before a mandate from the U.S. Supreme Court upholding two dynamiting convictions was to arrive in Multnomah County. The high court last month rejected his appeals for re view of his convictions in con nection with the 1960 dyna miting of trucks in Portland and Oregon City that were used by struck Portland news papers. The Supreme Court action in refusing to review the State Supreme Court rulings left standing two 10-year prison terms. More Time The Supreme Court order was expected here today. Mc Donald could have obtained more time to put his affairs in order before going to prison. Four other men involved in the bombings, Charles, Will liam and Edward Snyder, brothers; and Gerald Couzens, drew prison terms two years ago and have served their sentences. Warden Clarence T. Glad den said McDonald entered the prison quietly at 7:05 p.m. PST Tuesday. He was immediately taken to the admissions and orienta tion section where he will be kept for 30 days before being transfcred to regular status. This is routine for all prison ers, Gladden said. Committee Reports $1,262 in Donations The Citizens for Home Rule committee has submitted a list of' donations totaling Sl, 262.67, the Jackson county elections department said Wednesday. Major donations include A. S. V. Carpenter $328.32; Otto Frohnmayer. S25; Big Pines Lumber company, $25; Rogue Valley Land company, $25; Trowbridge and Flynn Elec tric compajiy, $25; John W. Snider, $25; Richard E. Wat son, $25: Robert C. Ross, $50; Bessonette Construction com pany, $50; Fluhrer Properties, $50; Crater Lake Motors, S100; League of Women Voters, $50: Glenn W. Jack son, $50; Reter Fruit com pany, $50: and Henry F. Padg ham jr., $100. State Committee Sets Friday Hearing Grants Pass- Josephine county problems will be pre sented at a public hearing in Grants Pass Friday of the Legislative Interim Commit tee on Small Business. Sen. Richard E. Groener, Milwau kee, committee chairman, has announced. The hearing will start at 9 a.m. in the Josephine county courthouse. Sen. E. D. Potts of Jose phine county, a member of the committee, is in charge of arrangements. Mayor Chris Gill of Grants Pass and Rep. Sidney Bazett of Josephine county will speak. Spokesmen for the Grants Pass Chamber of Com merce will be President James Baskcr and Manager Jack McMahan, who will speak on general needs of Jo sephine county, legislation to permit cities to contribute to area promotion associations and problems pertaining to the State Industrial Accident Commission, the personal property tax on inventories and the lumber Industry. , nr''; f f I V' ' r: , , ,j . v- v.j s;wVa Yrv -rVPi-; t x fjt 1". Jrp , a '-Jf Jr k i -4. ftF- fl.l A' I t t iVHk - ?lll .JHW J r ' it . l.n" .ffis 'l 1 7- : v ?- 'igr .iv- it- - -: v i - An iff V i, ,ti - 4 ' 1,, r J , , ' ".A if in'. i ?7 , ' ' " NUTRiTiOU Pour oj'1H ol fltiii of mtik nfiht now. Pour rl to l-t b'tm.f'om a chilled, troty pitchar.Tista tht natural, tfttt floedr-in. Fttl ani'gy-giing. narv-soothing bmeMt. M 'it b!ogt on your da'y mnu. M'k trae'j so ait ivn ptcar lo giaii to your good health! Gaonja Shaw, vcttran MinitMu ViVinga aua'ta'oac, a-d 1M1.1M2 Oragon Dairy Princaaa Barbara Slaiofald, 1c i -;T good fiaa'th with a tail giaa of rrik. Gacja tt' booi tKt quicIi anarg rrnlh g'ai him during tha teaion . t-4 itr tt aon wian ha'l ho-a in Pcla-d wckg fn jU" S Jo-aa lriyatmnt CJmPa"r. take it quick, cool & casual with dairy foods 1 is Dairy r m m nk 'if! "sz. - rmm nmm. Remember ... Red Gross Blcodmobile Here In Central Point, Wed., June 20 I iv i r-mf i I I lIIIiWw;A 1 Betty Crocker All Except Angel Food (fl A A f T CUE MIX i - 1 SS (f v Gold 'n Sweet Saf flower a a OIL 232 ijAElCAElllE 28-oz. Bottle j Snowdrift a r" ' HniT ... ,b 49o FROZEN ifffftm-P II Pork Sausage - '"Til WST- -Z DINNERS DOG FOOD I luru..A W i ..... I m i t.ii r-. Ill I H' r Fa"CY I flavors van, , .. . . IScveman B .nd-By he Piece - V II I I iBologi EC l) ll Fresh lean q 4 291 1 nrwdM4rl. i " 'i Betty Crocker jjPgg Campbell's L . Befty Crocker, , COOKIE and SOUPS U lnsfanf Mahed MUFFIN MIX ' .. 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