Throughout the hostilities, supplies of fresh vegetables have been coming into Shanghai regularly, though naturally in reduced quantities, Though many of the sources of supply around Shanghai were cut off owing to the hostilities, there were still others from which vegetables could be obtained. Farmers have been bringing in a quantity of vegetables during the past three weeks, having veen warned of the probable shifting of hostilities to the Hungjao area, and there is a large proportion of these reserve stocks still available.
In normal times, oxen, buitaloes, calves, sheep znd pigs have bee. obtained from Sungiciang, Minghong, Quinsan and Pootung, and sheep ana pigs from Kiangsu. 3 these sources of supply have been reduced by the local hostilities, meat has been brought in from principally Minghong, and from the Hungjao area. Fresh vegetables ordinarily are obtained from Dazang Kiangwan, Liuho, Lotten, Kiating, Jessfield and other parts. Several of these villages have actually been in the front line of fighting, with the result that vegetables have been obtained mainly from the western area and Pootung.
Fruit is brought to Shanghai from Chefoo, Swatow. Amoy, Canton and Ningpo, and there has been no shortage of fresh fruit in Shanghai throughout the trouble, coastal ships bringing in adequate quantity i normal times. The fruit pos considerably better at the present time than it was in September.
Quantities of fish, and small stocks of meat, are still in cold storage in the Hongkew District, but as supplies of fish in the Settlement and Concession are adequate to meet the demand, there is no immediate necessity for removing these. foodstuffs at the present time.—There are also adequate supplies of tinned foodstuffs in Shanghai, and hose have been imported steadily throughout the hostilities.
There has been a considerable amount of profiteering by dealers during the past three months, over which the S.M.C. has been entitled to exercise but little control and prices, in many cases, are far higher than are made necessary by the shortage of food. Generally speaking, the food situation is expected to improve steadily during the next few weeks, eS
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.