FOOD IN WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 247, 19 October 1939, Page 24

FOOD IN WAR.

PLANS ALL READY.

SHORTAGE NOT LIKELY. Referring to Amalgamated Dairies and Empire Dairies, Limited, Mr. William Goodfellow stated in an interview to-day that their dairy produce business was the largest and most influential in the United Kingdom, and under the new war regulations the companies would be selling dairy produce for the British Government.

The Ministry of Food, profiting by the experience of the last war, had plans all ready for the immediate control of food. Mr. Goodfellow did not anticipate, however, that there would l>e any abnormal rise in foodstuff's in Great Britain—at least not for some time. The fact was that the world was until recently faced with a serious overproduction of most foo<l and raw materials.

Mr. Goodfellow mentioned that the late Mr. J. B. Wright, managing director of Empire Dairies, had been appointed Director of Dairy Supplies by the British Government, and until his recent and

quite unexpected death he had the responsibility of negotiating- for the purchase of the total supplies of butter and cheese required by the United Kingdom.

The finances of Great Britain were, as usual, in a thoroughly sound condition, and the large gold holding and the huge South African production could be used to buy munitions and equipment in the United States and Canada on a favourable basis, said Mr. Goodfellow. Germany, on the other hand, was in a very weak financial state and would find it increasingly difficult to pay for imported essential raw materials.

Mr. Goodfellow stated that lie had visited the New York World Fair and was impressed by the United Kingdom's exhibit, which he considered excellent, and the New Zealand section, too, was good. The Soviet Government provided the most impressive exhibit from a publicity standpoint.