SHORT SUPPLIES OF ORANGES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25179, 9 May 1947, Page 3

SHORT SUPPLIES OF ORANGES

DOCTORS’ CERTIFICATES NOT ABLE TO BE ACTED ON (P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 8. Aucklanders holding doctors’ certificates for supplies of oranges—mainly mothers of ailing babies, and people caring for invalids—found this week that their certificates were worthless. This situation is likely to last for some time, according to a statement from the head office of the Internal Marketing Division, Wellington, in a telephone interview to-day. Holders of a certificate were previously supplied with Australian navel oranges held in cool store, but the stocks are now exhausted, it was explained. Island oranges are available, but as they do not keep well it is not proposed to reserve them for certificate holders. It was stated that generous supplies of orange juice were now on the market and while these lasted there was no point in holding back oranges, particularly those which did not keep well. Further shipments of Australian navel oranges are expected about June, but there is no likelihood of these being reserved for the holders of certificates while Island oranges and orange juice are available. Asked whether doctors were notified it was useless now to write certificates, an official of the Marketing Division said that, as far as the department was concerned. the doctors were never given authority to issue certificates, although it was the department’s policy to honour them while oranges were off the retail market.