Scrummed Eggs

In British mouths today, the taste of victory in global war most often resembles that of a powdered egg--a dull, sad mockery of the fresh article. Nearly eight years after World War II's end, law-abiding, breakfast-loving Britons must still endure the powdered egg or queue for the real thing in strictly rationed quantities at the corner grocer's. Last week, Food Minister Gwilyn Lloyd George, Tory son of Britain's World War I Liberal Prime Minister, brightened their hopes by announcing that by early spring egg-rationing would come to an end. "The fact of the matter is," he told the House of Commons, "that at the moment the number of shell eggs* available in this country is actually greater than the number before the war." Yet, Lloyd George admitted, of 8 billion eggs produced in the country during the past year, only a little more than half had found their way to the shops. A great part of the rest had gone into the black markets, which is why Lloyd George wanted to abolish rationing.

Why not increase the number of enforcement officers to make rationing work? demanded Laborite M.P. Norman Dodds. "I am satisfied," replied Lloyd George, "that if the Hon. Gentleman had his way, there would be more enforcement officers than hens."

*Wartimese for real eggs.

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