MORE FOOD FOR BRITAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 138, 8 December 1945, Page 6

MORE FOOD FOR BRITAIN

Sir,—The Mayor of the Capital, elected to represent our citizens, was reported in one of your recent issues to have slated that he would not like to sponsor an appeal for more food for Britain and he expressed the view that "the people are getting tired of these appeals." In case Mr. Appleton or others believe that the dispatch of more food to our people at Home is rendered less necessary by the cessation of active warfare, I would say that I have recently returned from England and can state from first-hand experience that the food situation there is even worse than it was during hostilities.

The meals are all of the "made up" variety, dull, stodgy, and unappetising: pap, flour, and starch, and quite insufficient to maintain health. No one can have anything but praise for the rationing administration during the war. when England was in a state of siege and the people earned the admiration of the world tor the way in which they accepted the necessary sacrifices and lightened their belts, but this does not in any degree alter the fact that our folks are Home are now feeling the effects of long privation —particularly in regard to meat — to such an extent that these effects are obvious to the most casual observer and I tremble to think how small a resistance they could put up against one of those epidemics which usually follow a war., May I recall to those with short memories the gracious and kindly hospitality showered upon our sons during their stay in England by people of all classes, rich and poor alike, and may I point out that Britishers are still making a real sacrifice of food to help the people of countries lately occupied by our enemies. The rationing of food and clothing in this country has been as nothing compared with that imposed upon the people of the Homeland. Are we who stayed at home going to sully the fine reputation gained by our young New Zea- ! landers during the war? Have we not the decency to even attempt the impossible task of repaying our debt in full? Let Mr. Appleton call a public meeting to discuss this matter and I think s the result will show how far he has failed to gauge public opinion. I for one do not want to retain my present feeling of humiliation—it is no less. — I am, etc.. OUR POOREST HOUR. 1 [The opinion referred to was expressed when the City Council decided to "receive" a proposal made by the Linwood-Avonside Patriotic Association that the Mayor should take a lead in a Wellington campaign to encourage the sending of more gift food parcels to Britain. Mr. Appleton s; ; iid that he thought it was a matter for national co-operation. The Wellington Metropolitan Patriotic Committee had already acted in thai manner by sending 50,000 food parcels, no longer required for servicemen overseas, for | distribution in Britain. He himself would not like to father the scheme as proposed for Wellington and all other main centres, because people had had a pretty good thrashing for patriotic contributions and girts, and were getting tired of appeals.']

A U.S. —Third Cnntiiieent. known ;|S "Itmisli Rldors." of -00 ottlr-crs find men, embarked :il Lyttelton SnUirday. February 17, 1000. sailed late day following, .Major Jriwsey was in ronimiind.