RATIONING HINT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 110, 11 May 1943, Page 4

RATIONING HINT

BUTTER IN DOMINION REQUEST FROM BRITAIN (0.C.) WHANGAREI, this day. "I think the people of New Zealand will be behind the Government if it accedes to the request that has come from Britain that butter should be rationed in New Zealand and Australia to maintain the two-ounce ration weekly in the Motherland," said the Minister of Supply, Mr. Barclay, in addressing farmers at Maungatapere last night. The Minister ascribed the 9 per cent decrease in dairy produce to the drought. He revealed that internal consumption of butter was 1000 tons up last year, while stocks in store on May 1 had decreased by 5000 tons to 34.000 tons, compared with May of last. year. Cheese stocks, he added, dwindled by 17,000 tons to 23,000 tons. Tfeed for More Eggs Appealing for greater egg production as a national patriotic work, Mr. Barclay said that supplies were urgently needed for the forces in the Pacific and for hospital ships, for which New Zealand was the only source. If anyone was to blame for the internal shortage it was Tojo. A market existed for the maximum quantities of vegetables. In expressing the opinion that the registration of potato growers would be necessary, the Minister said he expected no glut and that prices for the early spring crop would be the same as last year. . To guard against swine fever, the Government had prohibited Americans from selling their refuse without supervision. Any pig food so obtained must be boiled before feeding. In referring to the shortage of molasses, Mr. Barclay said that only 670 tons were available from the sugar works, and large supplies from Queensland were no longer available. Rising Land Values Rising land values were causing, the Government much concenn, and a bill would be presented before the next Parliamentary session. The Minister claimed that by cutting out the middle man the Internal Marketing Department had halved distribution costs-and saved £1.200,000 annually.