MEAT RATIONING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 123, 19 February 1944, Page 8

MEAT RATIONING

Fuller Details Of Scheme SEASONAL VARIATIONS

Fuller details of the meat rationing scheme announced by the Minister ot Surrolv Mr Sullivan, were given yesterday Dy the Food mid Katiouing Controller Mr. J. E. Thomas. The ration for adults has been fixed at 1/J wort of meat, with variations up to 2/-, according to seasonal changes in the Meat Price Order. With these taken into account the basic ration scales tor the year are as follo "% ol , th South

The following meats may be suPP ll ® ll only against coupons: Beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork, whether fresh, chilled, frozen, cooked, salted or minced. Though pork is included with the couponed meats the restrictions imposed on. the sale or pork and reviewed again in December last, will not be lifted in the meantime. Pork will therefore not be available under the meat rationing scheme. The following meats are coupon free: Canned meats, sausages, sausage meat, tripe, liver, tongue, brains, kidney, heart, sweetbreads, oxtail, ox heel, ox cheek, cow heel, calf’s head, calf’s feet, sheeps head, sheep’s trotters, pig’s head,, pigs trotters, pig’s bocks, bones (wjthouc meat), dripping, suet, poultry, rabbits, bacon, ham, smallgoods. In addition, the following meats are coupon free if sold for animal consumption only: Ox skirts, mutton skirts, mutton flaps, trimmings, shin meat. Mr. Thomas said it was estimated that the ration would allow for an average of 241 b. a week for adults and ljlb. a week for children. Special Coupons to be Used. Special coupons would be issued to all consumers in sheet form for attachment to the present ration book comprising in the case of adults sets of six coupons and in the case of children sets of. three coupons, each set having a value of one week’s ration. A set of adults’ coupons consisted of five coupons with a face value of 3d. each and one coupon “H” of varying value. Till further notice this “H” coupon would be worth 6d. Similarly, with the children’s coupons there were two of the value of 3d. each and one “J” valued at sd. One week’s sec of coupons would be released each Monday and would have a currency of two weeks, thus giving a continuous overlap of one week. Coupons will be available to the public on presentation of their ration books at all local post offices and at special issuing offices in the main centres in a week’s time. Local announcements would be made when the coupons were available for issue.

Coupons issued to all consumers were numbered in sets from. No. 19 onward. Coupon No. 19 could be used during the first two weeks as from March 6, 1944 (from which date the scheme would operate), coupon No. 20 for two weeks as from March 13, 1944, and so on till all the coupons were used. The coupons were perforated and could be detachd by the consumers.

Sales would also be made by butchers against permits presented by manufacturers and purchase authorities presented by hotels and restaurants. These both constituted authority to purchase and allowed the purchase of meat to the value indicated. Each purchase was to be written off as it was made, and when the permit was complete it was to be forwarded with the butcher’s four-weekly return to the rationing officer. Coupons could not be deposited by consumers with butchers in advance of purchases except in the case of country deliveries, when it was permissible for one month’s coupons to be sent in at a time to the butcher. Drovers’ Dogs.

Types of meat less suitable for human consumption would be reserved by butchers for animals, so no difficulty should be experienced by members of the community in securing suitable meat for their pets without the surrender of coupons. A special provision was being made for feeding drovers’ dogs. Full details of this arrangement would be available at all rationing offices in due course. Every trader supplying couponed meat to consumers was required to take out a licence to trade as a retail butcher. This included freezing works and abattoirs, supplying meat to employees, shareholders, or tc the public. Licences would be issued only to traders carrying on business as butchers or pork butchers at the date of application. It would be illegal to sell couponed meat after the beginning of rationing without a licence. Application, .forms would be available at local rationing offices shortly and when completed should be presented to that office for the; issue of. the licence. With a licence would he issued a meat quota permit covering the first two weeks of rationing;. up to March 19, 1944.

“Under a special coupon banking system, butchers will deposit with their normal trading bank, ail coupons collected front, their customers in accordance with •the instructions being issued regarding hanking and pm-chasing,” said Mr. Thomas. “Tlie credits which they thus establish will be used as the basis for assessing their quota of meat.” Retail butcher; were advised to communicate with the secretary of their local butchers’ committee before the introduction of meat rationing, should they be in doubt on any aspect of the scheme. These committees were in the process of being organized. Tn addition to the local committees, provincial committees consisting of representatives of the farmers, stock and station agents, or auctioneers and butchers, were being established to watch the general supply position and the farmers’ interests in their respective territories.

• .“'With the introduction of meat.rationing all meals of couponed meat consumed in clubs, restaurants and hotels will necessitate the. surrender of one 3d. coupon for each such meal served,” said Mr. Thomas. “These coupons will he collected by the proprietor and banked. The hank will give a receipt for each coupon deposit made and these receipts will be used for the purchase of further supplies from the butcher or other authorized sun’'lier. Special forms for this purpose are being printed and will be available in due course. Further particulars as to procedure will be announced later. “Butchers, pastrycooks and smallgoods manufacturers using meal in the preparation of their products, will he required to nnply to their local rationing office during the week preceding rationing for a permit for a preliminary quota of meat. Any other manufacturers will he required to apply direct to the Rationing Controller, Ti'eHineton. for h permit to secure supplies. There will be a reduction of 33 1-3 ner cent, in the quantity of meat that will be made available for this class of business.”

Mr. Thomas said that every wholesale butcher would be required to register as such by application in writing to the local rationing office. This included ex-port-slauehter-hoiiscs in addition to wholesale butchers, and. in fact, all traders supplying meat to retailors.

island s. d. Island s. d. Jan. 1 to June 30 .. July 1 to July 31 .. Aug. 1 to Aug. 19. - Aug. 20 to Sept. 30 . 1 9 1 9 1 10 1 11 1 9 1 10 1 11 2 0 Oct. 1 to Oct. 31 ... 1 11 2 0 Nov. 1 to Nov. 30 .. 1 10 2 0 Dec. 1 to Dec. 31 .. 1 9 . 1 11