SHORTAGES IN CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26369, 13 March 1951, Page 6

SHORTAGES IN CHRISTCHURCH

REPORT TO BE MADE TO GOVERNMENT Commodity shortages in Canterbury, arising from the hold-up of shipping, will be reported to the Government after a deputation of grocers and merchants to the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr R. M. Macfarlane. M.P.) last evening. Sugar, baby foods, and lemons were among the items mentioned. Afterwards. Mr Macfarlane reiterated pis belief that the first move toward relief should come from the Government, which was dealing with the situation nationally. "It seems to be the obvious desire of the Federation of Labour that the people should not go short of essentials,” he added. No intimation whatsoever about the formation of an emergency supply committee in Christchurch had been received from the Government, Mr Macfarlane said. Many grocers, merchants, and manufacturers are believed to favour a ship filled with sugar being sent to Lyttelton, but in the absence of plans for getting the cargo to Christchurch and other towns this claim has apparently not been pressed. There are widelyfelt fears that such a shipment might take a month to deliver. Meanwhile, housewives in Christchurch are lucky to get even a pound or two of sugar from their grocers each week, and many grocers have no stocks. Bakers, pastrycooks, cake firms, biscuit and cordial manufacturers and other big consumers have reported that they have stocks for only about three weeks* normal production.