Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1946. FOOD PARCELS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 270, 27 August 1946, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1946. FOOD PARCELS

The public will, be much reassured by the statement made last week by the chairman of the National Famine Emergency Committee and by New Zealand House in London concerning food .parcels sent from this country to Britain. Prominence has been given to rumours that although a considerable quantity of food is saved in this country to help the British people, that they do not benefit by it, and to the fact that food parcels sent Home are confiscated. These statements have doubtless had a marked effect on the general campaign which although it has produced good results, is hardly good enough, and Mr T. N. Smallwood’s remarks coupled with a timely statement from New Zealand House, should do much to rectify the position. It is most unfortunate that the statements made should have created misunderstanding, for the people of this country have had provided for them ample evidence that there is a very urgent need for the saving of coupons and for assistance’ in the way of fats and other goods. We in this country are just emerging from the winter, but in Britain the colder weather is at hand, and during the coming' months there will be greater need than ever for food and more food. Mr Smallwood is in a position to know the trend of the campaign, and his remarks that there has been a falling off in the saving of coupons and in the sending of parcels can be accepted as correct. His most striking statement was that the baseless . rumours which have been circulating are costing the British people dearly, and this is a matter from which we in the Dominion can derive no satisfaction. It is not denied in the statement from England that some parcels have been seized, but it is made clear that where this has . been done it has been by process of law in an effort to stop food going into the black-market. .In its statement the Board of Trade said that only 125 parcels out of several millions were seized during the first five months of this year and handed over to charitable organisations. The actual number of New Zealand parcels among that total was unavailable, but it was emphasised it was “very, very small.” Thorough investigation by officials in England has revealed that the question, of seizure has been greatly exaggerated and over-emphasis-ed. Now that the position has been cleared up, it is sincerely to be hoped that the next few weeks will see a marked improvement in returns, and that no effort will be spared to give the people of Britain, ,to whom we owe so much, the utmost assistance possible.