FOOD HOARDING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 291, 9 December 1941, Page 8

FOOD HOARDING

QUITE UNNECESSARY AMPLE STOCKS AVAILABLE Any tendency to hoard essential commodities, including groceries, was deprecated by merchants and others prominent in the wholesale and retail grocery business when interviewed to-day. The principal of a firm of chain groceries said there was no unusual rush yesterday, but on the other hand .some firms reported increased inquiry, though it was suggested that this would be linked with the normal holiday demand. "I would strongly urge to maintain their normal inquiry for goods, said a leading grocer to-day. ' There are ample stocks of all essential foodstuffs. Certainly we are short of tinned foods such as sardines and salmon, but that is due to the imports ban which was introduced 18 months ago. There is ample tea, sugar, flour and other staDle commodities." The opinion that if there were no imports of wheat for 15 months the Dominion would still not be seriously affected in the matter of flour supplies was expressed by a director of a leading milling company. He stated that large stocks of flour were held and the southern wheat crop would be harvested in February. Provided the harvest was normal—and apparently it would be—the Dominion had nothing to fear for a long time so far as a flour shortage was concerned.

While there was no rush in city and suburban grocery shops to-day a marked increase in orders was evident, and in some cases where stocks were temporarily short, rationing had been introduced. However, in every case it was stated that augmented orders and hoarding were entirely unnecessary.