TEA RATIONING

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25030, 12 November 1946, Page 6

TEA RATIONING

LIFTING UNLIKELY AT PRESENT '* The Press ” Special Service WELLINGTON, November tt “At the present moment there * " likelihood of tea rationing being in the immediate future.” said u* Food and Rationing Controller (Mr aJ. Costelloe) to-day. Interest in tea supplies has oe® aroused as the result of the i ment from Colombo last week oi “J intention in Ceylon to discontinue J" system of bulk buying when the c®' tract with Britain expires at the C‘‘ of this year and revert to sales on w open market under the auction sjtern. There has also been a staten \r r by the Leader of the Opposition S. G. Holland) at Ashburton QJ possibility of tea rationing ending m few months. «. Mr Costelloe said the whole tion of open market buying was J" negotiation with the British of Food at the present time, * when a reply was received W would be a Ministerial statement. Under the Empire tea bvj j scheme the purchases had been m by Britain, which allocated supples New Zealand and other Dominion* “We do not know what is happen under the open market sy® lof buying,” said Mr Costelloe- , are awaiting advice from Britain. until that arrives there can pe thing definite.” At the present tm» he added, there was a world shona*® of tea.