FOOD RATIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 197, 2 June 1945, Page 3

FOOD RATIONS

' MEAT AND BUTTER. FURTHER REDUCTIONS MADE. STATEMENT B1 T "MINISTER. JirT .. 'iiiU il;,>.rv u r* v .O ■ , /. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 1. From June 11, the standard ration of butter in New Zealand will be reduced by 25 per cent., that is from Boz to 6oz weekly. The standard ration of meat will be re* duced from 1s 9d a week to 1s 6d a week. An announcement to this effect was made by the Minister of Supply (the Hon, D. Q> Sullivan) this evening. The Minister said that the New Zealand Government and LilM .War Cabinet had faced up to the problem which New Zealand shared with her Allies in regard to food production and distribution, and after mature consideration had decided to reduce both New- Zealand’s butter and meat * rations almost immediately, Mr Sullivan said that in the case of butter, because of the impracticability of operating a 3oz weekly allowance, the special rations of 4oz weekly issued to certain classes of workers needing extra fats, such as miners, bush workers, and freezing chamber hands, because of special health considerations related to their occupation, would continue unchanged. In the case of meat, however, the extra halfration would he proportionately reduced to conform with the new jscale. M anufacturers’ Allocatiohsi As far as manufacturers were concerned, butter rations would be reduced by a minimum of 25 per cent., with provision for greater reductions to the extent that margarine could be used as a substitute, and was available. Tlie manufacturers’ ration of meat was being reduced by 20 per cent. Also because of the impracticability of making a reduction, emer- £ gency coupons and armed services’ leave coupons would remain unchanged at Boz of butter weekly, Butter coupons would continue to be redeemable at Boz each, -but every fourth coupon would he cancelled, so > that the serial numbers of the available coupons for the three rationed foodstuffs would continue to be the same in each period. It would still be necessary to surrender a 3d coupon for each rationed meat meal secured in a hotel or restaurant. No alteration was being made in the present range of coupon.free meat, sundries, and smallgoods. . . Mr Sullivan said New Zealand should he able to export a further > 15,000 tons of meat fymually as the result of the new savings, so thp,t the Dominion’s total increased exports as the result of the rationing would he somewhere in the vicinity of 35,000 tons annually. The new butter ration reductions should result in a further 5000 tons of butter annually going to the United Kingdom, making a total estimated additional export - contributed under rationing, including the results of the cream restrictions, of ' 15,000 tons annually.