The Yeast Prohibition

The Yeast Prohibition

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BALLINA MERCHANT’S PROTEST

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 (Ballina Herald, 18^th January, 1923)

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The following letter appeared in the " Irish Independent " : —

'Sir,—I read in last Thursday's issue of vour paper where Commdt.-Gen. Farrelly has issued a proclamation prohibiting the sale of treacle, brown sugar and yeast in his area without a military permit, the latter commodity to be in charge of the military authorities, who will control its distribution and only release to bakers. This is with a view to suppressing the potheen traffic. Being the largest dis­tributor of yeast in the West, this procla­mation is of special interest to me, and of serious import if adopted by all area Commandants through the West.

Whilst personally abhorring the abomable potheen traffic, which is tending to undermine the young manhood of our country, I would respectfully point out to the gallant General that whilst his motives are most praiseworthy, the methods he proposes to adopt in dealing with this national menaces are most crude, and will, if persisted in, cause wholesale confusion to the legitimate vendors and users of yeast. If the General will effectively con­trol the two first-named ingredients, yeast need give him no worry, as without treacle or 'brown sugar, (yeast is of absolutely no value to these traffickers.

My trade primarily lies with the bakers who use the yeast in the production of their bread and the grocers who sell it across their counters, as at all times, and especially during that period of the great scarcity of milk housewives purchase yeast largely for making yeast bread in the home.

Generally Farrelly may not be aware that yeast, to be kept properlv, has to be stored under special conditions to keep fit for use, which would cause the military authorities endless trouble if they decided to store and distribute same properly. Furthermore, these traffickers, if they could obtain the other necessary ingre­dients. could drive a coach and four through the General's regulations by writing to either Dublin, Belfast or Cork, or to any of the many English and Scottish yeast depots, for their supplies, which would be supplied them through the post without the authorities being a bit the wiser of the contents of the parcels..

                                               P. Murphy (per M. P. Murphy),

Ardnaree, Ballina. 5/1/1923

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