THE SUGAR RATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 121, 8 February 1918, Page 8

THE SUGAR RATION

. ■ NO GREAT fEARDSHIP. Mr. John Mackay, ex-Government Printer, who has recently returned to Wellington after a sojourn of eighteen months in England and Scotland, says that his trip was a very interesting one, and generally devoid of anything m the sensational iine. He crossed from America to England in an American steamer before that country was in the war, and mads the return journey entirely; without convoy without any interruption of any kind. For a considerable part of the time that he was at Home he lived in Edinburgh, and whilst there the only restriction on foodstuffs was the sugar Tation of half a pound per person per week. He and those residing in the saine house found it no hardship to restrict themselves to tho half-pound. Some could do with a little more, but probably just as many could do with a little less, lfie rationing scheme was quite> a sound one. liach-. household in the Kingdom was registered with a certain grocer, and as tar as sugar was conoerned they could not obtain supplies elsewhere. A cam was issued to each'household, divided into eight or sixteen sections, and 0110 (section represented a week's supply for that 'household. Assuming there were twelve people residing in the housS one clip, would entitle the holder to purchase 61b. of sugai or less (not ■more). The scheme worked out quite successfully, and there was little or no complaint from the public. There wer« occasions when there was a shortage of this or that article owiim to the uncvenness of tho arrivals of shipments or other causes. Subsequent to the shipping trouble with Norway and Sweden, there was a shortage of woo Gen safety matches, whioh was filled to a great extent by a British-manufactured-match which struck anywhore—the ordinary § match-head on a wooden shank. jlr. 'Mackay was in London during several air raids, and describes them as very nerve-wracking experiences so long asthey last. One could see very little, however, as the View was alwfiys circumscribed, and there was now no play of searchlight?-as there used to be on Zeppelin nights.