RATIONING OF EGGS

Evening Star, Issue 25224, 11 July 1944, Page 4

RATIONING OF EGGS

NEW SYSTEM IN DUNEDIN SUPPLIES FOR GENERAL CONSUMERS Egg rationing has been introduced in (Dunedin comparatively smoothly, and city grocers state that they havo received few complaints about the new system, which is still in its early stages. Every effort has been made by the Internal Marketing Department and merchants to ensure that all eggs available will be distributed with scrupulous fairness, and the only dissatisfaction expected is from those persons who havo previously received more than their reasonable share of the supplies. The new system has been introduced in Dunedin at a time when supplies are becoming more plentiful. The winter shortage is about at an end, and the number of eggs coming on to the market should increase rapidly. This position will materially assist the smo6th operation of the rationing. Large numbers of priority registrations by sick persons, expectant mothers, and children under five years have been made with grocers during the last few weeks, and the Internal Marketing Department is now- in a position to arrange for supplies to meet these requirements and to estimate the surplus quantities available for general consumers. This distribution is based on registrations with grocers for butter supplies. . Last week grocers were supplied with sufficient eggs to give .each registered customer, other than a person with a priority certificate, one egg, and this week the distribution is on the basis of one and a-half eggs per person. In other words, a married couple is entitled to receive three eggs, a household of four persons six eggs, and a household of six nine eggs. In the past some grocers have been.supplying customers with, perhaps, three eggs a week irrespective of the number of persons in the household. It is expected that supplies will be much more plentiful later, and that-it will be possible to secure sufficient for preserving. 'lt was stated by an official of the Internal Marketing Division this morn-? ing that the distribution to the various city zones had been based on past transactions by merchants, and soma adjustment would probably be necessary' as the scheme proceeded. A number of dairies and fruiterers who previously handled eggs would not be. retailers furider the new system, and this would probably affect the volume of sales in certain areas. :