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Show DICTATOR DOLES OUT MEAT TO GERMANS Distribution Is Equalized Sine Von Eatocki Curbed Inclination Toward Greed in Berlin families. , Special Cable to The Tribune. BERLIN. Aug. 5. The meat supply of the German capital is becoming steadily better since the whole control has been placed in the hands of the" "food dictator." dic-tator." Yon Batocki. Although the rations ra-tions allowed per head of the population remain small, few complaints are heard because the distribution is efficient, quick and just. The disorderly scenes which formerly occurred before tne butcher hops and distriouting stations. when crowds collected and clamored for meat, have ceased entirely. Everybody now gets his ration promptly and without trouble. City Councillor Berndt. in an interview granted to the representatives of the press, recently described the difficulties which had to be overcome. "The municipal munici-pal authorities were not responsible for the former unsatisfactory conditions, nor can much blame be attached to the butchers." butch-ers." the councillor said. "'When the original orig-inal plans for distribution of meat were worked out a very Important point was not taken into consideration the deterioration de-terioration of the cattle. Before the war the average weight of the oxen brought to the Berlin slaughter houses was 800 to lOvO pounds per head, but last year, on account of the shortage of fodder, few of the animals killed in the public abattoirs abat-toirs weighed more than 400 pounds. Many of them were, nothing but bones and skin, and the condition of the sheep and lambs glaughtered was still worse. The few hogs we were able to obtain had hardly a trace of fat on their bodies." "The distribution of meat was further Interfered with by the greed of the cattle companies, which were organized under the direction of the government to prevent pre-vent speculation and received large loans from the state and the municipalities." the councillor continued. "These companies, com-panies, although they were really societies socie-ties of large cattle raiders and farmers and were considered government organizations, organi-zations, did not live up to their agreements. agree-ments. They charged the highest prices allowed Ty law for the poorest kind of cattle and were continually asking for i new loans, for which they wanted to pay ! no interest. The government was power-1 power-1 less against these extortions, because un-i un-i der the laws neither the minister of the i interior nor the minister of agriculture could proceed against these concerns. Thev could not be curbed until the food dictator, with his practically unlimited powers, was appointed. "The meat distribution was further unfavorably un-favorably Influenced by the fact that many butchers sold part of the supplies i hey received from the slaughter houses on Saturday for the coming week on Sunday. " the councillor concluded In his explanations. "To remedy this defect it has been decided not to turn over the carcasses car-casses of the cattle slaughtered on Saturday Satur-day to the retailers before Monday. Every person not receiving the entire quantity of meat which his card calls for has only lo file a complaint and the guilty butcher will not be furnished any meat for four weeks. Retailers who violate the orders of the dictator repeatedly will be driven out of business entirely and may be sentenced sen-tenced to heavy fines." |