FOOD FOR STARVING PEOPLES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 14067, 23 May 1946, Page 2

FOOD FOR STARVING PEOPLES

COMPULSORY SCHEME FAVOURED Further Rationing: For * Certain Period Decision Of Chamber Of Commerce A statement that if a compulsory scheme was decided on he believed the people of New Zealand would loyally and humanely respond, was made by the Hon. W. E. Barnard when raising the question of rationing in order to provide more food and essentials of life to the starving peoples of the world, at a meeting of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening. Mr Barnard stated that there were two schools of thought on the question of rationing the people to provide additional food for the starving peoples of the world. One was by voluntary abstinence, the method m operation to-day while the other school of thought maintained that this method was not good enough and did not provide, the volume of food required. What happened, he asked, when people at odd times surrendered a few coupons to the grocer? Did that mean that the grocer received a smaller quantity of goods the following month? He did not know. He expressed the view that as a result of the voluntary effort one would see an extension of the black market. _ .. Mr Barnard maintained that it a proper scheme were developed, and it was possible, it had been done in other countries during the war years, the people would feel generally that it was fairer. He expressed the view that this chamber might well make its opinion known to the Prime Minister that it felt something more was required than was the case at the present time. The emergency was world wide. This battle, he added, to supply food to the starving peoples of the world could not be left to the generosity of ; a few individuals here and there. When one considered the huge economic hurdle the people in Britain were faced with and their nervous condition after six years of war and strain, then the least the people of New Zealand could do was lo fall, in line to some extent with their kinsfolk at home.

A resolution that the chamber recommend to the earnest consider at.ion of the Government the introduction of a further limitation of the present rationing scheme in order to provide foodstuffs for the starving peoples of the world, was moved by Mr Barnard and carried.

In supporting the views of Mr Barnard, the president (Mr F. N. Christian) said that there was certainly a tremendous amount of waste in New Zealand, and he was satisfied that the people of New Zealand could do with a great deal less than at present.

Referring to the position in America, Mr Christian quoted extracts from a letter he had received which stated that in the United States sugar was rationed, meat was very scarce and butter was available occasionally and only in quarter pounds at a time. The people in New Zealand, he added, were led to believe that America was not doing its part in the task of helping the starving peoples of the world, but as could be seen from the letter, the country was doing its part.

Idle president, said that he felt it was wrong for the people of New Zealand to send individual parcels to Britain. Parcels sent privately meant less space in the ships for goods sent generally to the people. Goods must be sent collectively and distributed collectively. That, iu bis opinion, was the -correct way to do it.

People in Britain, explained Mr Barnard, were denying themselves to send supplies to other countries, and what ho meant was that food should be sent from New Zealand to those countries in need. Also ha wanted to make it clear that the rationing should operate for a certain period only.