MEAT RATIONING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 14, 18 January 1944, Page 3

MEAT RATIONING

AUSTRALIAN SCALE

CONSUMPTION COMPARED The clear-cut indication by^ the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) as cabled from Canberra yesterday, that New Zealand is to go on a meat ration, draws attention to the ration that became operative in Australia on Saturday last. As has already been announced, the Australian ration is 2£lb of butcher's meat a week for each person aged nine years and over, and 1 l-81b for each child under nine years. In announcing the Government's intention to introduce the ration, the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr. Curtin), in October last, said that before.1 the war Australia depended on Great Britain as the market for practically 1 the entire export surplus. Today Australia was committed to send to Great Britain as much meat as possible to assist in maintaining the low ration of Is 2d worth of meat per person per week, to allocate large quantities of meat for Australian fighting men, and to provide for British and Allied servicemen based on Australia. The Australian ration scale slightly exceeds the standard approved by the nutrition committee of the Australian Medical Health and Research Council as being sufficient to meet the dietary requirements of all persons. Normal consumption in Australia was, according to the latest available figures, 2271b of meat per head per year, so that the ration represents a reduction of about half. The normal consumption in New Zealand is shown as 2521b per head per year, of which 1401b to 1501b is beef, and 851b mutton. An average of 2§lb per person per week, therefore, would amount to about half the above consumption. By way of contrast, the average normal consumption of meat in the United Kingdom was 1381b a head, in Canada 1221b a head, and in the United States 1311b.