TEA RATIONING

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23668, 19 June 1942, Page 4

TEA RATIONING

♦—— - COUPONS AVAILABLE UNTIL JUNE 30 JUNE 21 LAST DAY FOR SUGAR CP.A.) WELLINGTON, June 18. The Rationing Controller (Mr J. E. Thomas) said to-day that sugar coupons 5 to 8 would not be redeemable after June 21. From June 22 to July 31 coupons 9 to 14 inclusive would be available at any time within the period. Tea coupons 1 to 4 were available up to and including June 30. The secretary of the Canterbury Master Grocers’ Association (Mr John Jackson), who received advice from Auckland yesterday that tea coupons 1 to, 4 would be available up to and including June 30, told a reporter of “The Press” last evening that the general impression had been that these coupons were redeemable only till midnight on June 21. •If that had been so grocers would have been in the unenviable position of being unable to supply customers with the full quota of their coupons. “With this extension of the period, consumers will be able to redeem all their coupons," Mr Jackson said. “There are 400 grocers in the Canterbury Association, and many of these have such depleted stocks of tea that it would be impossible for them to supply their customers in full by June 21.” Some had already exhausted their stocks. However, he added, further supplies had been received recently by wholesale merchants, and sufficient tea should be in the hands of grocers within a week. The tea was now being packed and would be distributed as soon as possible. Mr Jackson received the information in a telegram from the secretary of the Auckland Master Grocers’ Association (Mr R. M. Barker); to whom Mr Jackson had sent an urgent message asking for a definite statement on the position.