CONTROL OF MEAT RATIONING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25178, 8 May 1947, Page 3

CONTROL OF MEAT RATIONING

PROSECUTIONS BROUGHT IN ROTORUA (P-A.) ROTORUA. May 7. A series of prosecutions of hotels and boardinghouses and the retail butchers who supplied them, for alleged breaches of the Meat Rationing Regulations, heard during the last two days in the Magistrate’s Court by Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., concluded this afternoon. Decision was reserved where pleas of not guilty were entered and the* imposition of penalties was deferred in cases where fhe defendants pleaded guilty. Mr K. L. Sandford, of Hamilton, appeared for the Food Controller as prosecutor. It was stated that some 18 months ago the manager of a leading Rotorua Hotel had interviewed the Controller in Wellington and had obtained from him permission to secure his rationed meat on a weight basis instead of on' a monetary basis as represented by current coupons. The effect of this change, it was said, was to turn a condition of chaos and difficulty into a smooth-running system, but unfortunately other hotels and guest houses were not advised, either locally or from Wellington, of the possibility of making the change until comparatively recently. Then every hotel and boardinghouse changed over and their view of the poundage method of computing supplies was also as enthusiastic as was that of the retailers.

However, the charges made related to dates antecedent to the change. Another fact brought out in testimony before the Court was that the 3d coupon was valued at 5d where hotels and restaurants were concerned, the 66 2-3 per cent, additional value pver that for the home consumer being granted for waste in supplying guests. •

Evidence adduced on behalf of the defendant hotel and guesthouse keepers showed that, with the sanction of the previous local food controller, the system had sprung up of banking coupons on Wednesdays instead of on Mondays and this was an accepted practice. As a result meat secured for Monday and Tuesday in such instances was generally obtained in anticipation of credit slips issued against the coupons lodged with the banks. The prosecution alleged, however, that in several cases the customers had got weeks behind.