HOW IT WORKS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 42, 19 February 1944, Page 4

HOW IT WORKS

MEAT RATIONING

COUPONS, LICENSES

A special new sheet of coupons will be issued for meat, under the rationing scheme beginning on March 6. Consumers will not be required to register and therefore may obtain their requirements from any licensed butcher, according to a statement issued by Mr. James E. Thomas, food and rationing controller. The coupons, which are divided into various denominations, will have a currency of two weeks from the date of issue of each set, a new set being available at the beginning of each week. Those who partake of meals containing couponed meats in hotels, cafeterias, etc., will be required to surrender one 3d coupon for each meal. Butchers, restaurant and hotelkeepers, and other similar meat users, will be required to bank coupons they receive, and only in this way will they be able to obtain replenishment of supplies. Rationed and Uinationcd Meats All meats, including meat products, containing a substantial proportion of meat, have been declared a rationed coanmodity as from March <>. 191-1. The following meats may be supplied only against coupons:— Hoof, veal, mutton, lamb and pork, whether fresh, chilled, frozen, cooked, salted or minced. Although pork is included with the couponed meats the restrictions imposed on the sale of pork, and reviewed again in December last, will not be lifted in the meantime. Pork will, therefore, not bo available under the rationing scheme. The following meats arc coupon free:— Canned meats, sausages, sausage meat, tripe, iiver, tongue, brains, kidney, liuart, sweetbreads, ox tail, ox heel, ox uhpek, tow heel, calf's head, tali's feet, sheep's head, sheep's trotters, pig's head, pig's trotters, pig's hocks, bones (without meat), dripping, suet, poultry, rabbits, bacon, ham, and smallgoods. For Animal Consumption In addition, the following meats are coupon free if sold for animal consumption only:—Ox skirts, mutton skirts, mutton flaps, trimmings, shin meat. Types of meat less suitable for human consumption will be reserved by butchers for animals, so no rlifTiculty should be experienced by members of the community in securing suitable meat for their pets without the surrender of coupons. A special provision is being made for feeding drovers' dogs. Full details of this arrangement will be available at all rationing offices later. Retailers' Licenses Every trader supplying couponed meat to consumers is required to take out a license to trade as a retail butcher; this includes freezing works, abattoirs, etc., supplying meat to employees, shareholders, or to the public. Licenses will be issued only to traders carrying on business as butchers or pork butchers at the date of application. It will be illegal to sell couponed meat after the commencement of rationing without a license. Application forms will be available at the local rationing office shortlv and when completed should be presented to that office for the issue of the license. With a license will he issued a meat quota permit covering the first two weeks of rationing, up to March 19, 1944. Under a special coupon banking system, butchers will deposit with their normal trading bank all coupons collected from their customers in accordance with the instructions being issued regarding banking and purchasing. The credits which they thus establish will be used as the basis for assessing their quota of meat. Retail butchers are advised to communicate with the secretary of their local butchers' committee prior to the. introduction of meat rationing, should they be in doubt on any aspect of the scheme. These committees are in the process of being organised. " In addition to the local committees, provincial committees, consisting of representatives of the farmers, stock and station agents, or

auctioneers and butchers, are being established to watch the general supply position and the farmers interests in their respective territories. With the introduction of meat rationing all meals of couponed meat consumed in clubs, restaurants and hotels will necessitate the surrender of one 3d coupon for each such meal served. These coupons will be collected by the proprietor and banked. The bank will give a receipt for each coupon deposit made, and these receipts will be used for the purchase of further supplies from the butcher or other authorised supplier. Special forms for this purpose are being printed, and will be available in due course. Further particulars as to procedure will be announced later. Butchers, pastrycooks and small goods manufacturers using meat in the preparation of their products, will be required to apply to their local rationing office during the week preceding rationing for a permit for a preliminary quota of meat. Any other manufacturers will be required to apply direct to the Rationing Controller, Wellington, for a permit to secure supplies. There will be a reduction of 33 1-3 per cent in tlie quantity of meat that will be made available for this class of business. Every wholesale butcher will be required to register as such by application in writing to the local rationing office. This includes export slaughterhouses in addition to wholesale butchers, and, in fact, all traders supplying meat to retailers. Values of Coupons The amounts of meat that can ho purchased for this sum will vary according to the quality of the meat. For instance, with meat, of a higher price (e.g.. rump steak), tlie actual quantity secured for the ration of I/O will be small, whilst with cheaper meat, such as forequarters of mutton, the quantity will be considerably larger. However, it is estimated that the ration should allow for an average of 2Jlbs weekly for adults and lilbs weekly for children. Special coupons* will be Issued to nil consumers in sheet form for attachment to the present ration book, comprising ill the case of adults, sets of six coupons, and in the case of children, sets of three coupons, each having a value of one week's ration. A set of adults' coupons consists of five coupons, with a face value of 3d each, and one coupon "H" of varying value. Until further notice this "H" coupon will be worth lid. With the children's coupons there are two to the value of 3d each, and one "J" valued at sd. One week's set of coupons will be released each Monday, and will have a currency of two weeks, thus giving a continuous overl.rp of one week. Coupons will be available to the public on presentation of their ration books at all local post offices, and at special issuing offices itt the main centres in a week's time. Local announcements will be made when the coupons are available for issue. . Coupons issued to nil consumers nre numbered in sets from No. ID onwards. Coupon No. 10 may be used during the first two weeks ns from March fi, 1014. Coupon No. 20 for two weeks as from March 13, 1044, and so on, until all the coupons are used. The coupons are perforated for detachment. Where the value of meat purchased does not reach an even 3d the butcher will give the consumer change in special Id coupons. These Id change coupons can bo redpemed onlv by the butcher from whom they are obtained. Arrangements for Farmers Sales will be made by butchers against permits presented by manufacturers and purchase authorities presented by hotels and restaurants. These both constitute authority to purchase meat to the value indicated. Each purchase is to be written off as it is made, and when the permit is complete it is to be forwarded with the butcher's four-weekly return to the ration ofTiccr. Consumers may not deposit coupons with butchers in advance of purchases except in the case of country deliveries, when one month's coupons may be sent in at a time to the butcher.

Consumers will not have to register with a retail butcher. They will be able to redeem their coupons with any retailer. Farmers will be allowed to continue, where required, the killing of their own stock for consumption on the premises, and for supply to other farmers under a sharing arrangement, as they have done in the past. Farmers who do not kill their own stock for domestic supply will be able to secure meat ration coupons in the normal way. The question of meeting the travelling arrangements and other needs of farmers who normally kill their own stock is under consideration, and will be announced later. Farmers will not be allowed to sell meat except under a permit or in cases where they are licensed retail butchers. Special provision has been made for extra rations to be provided in cases where, on medical grounds, an additional diet of meat is necessary. Local rationing offices will be authorised to deal with these applications.