SUGAR SUPPLIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1945, Page 8

SUGAR SUPPLIES

N.Z. RATIONING ESSENTIAL. / WELLINGTON, May 13. Reference was made by. the Minister of Supply (Mr. Sullivan) on Saturday to statements which had been circulated recently about sugar being available in ample quantijie-s., ‘‘On the contrary,” Mr. Sullivan said, “sugar, along with other essential foodtuffs, is in short supply the world over and this shortage necessitated the recent sugar ration reductions in . the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. We in New Zealand should consider ourselves fortunate, as our basic household ration, is higher than the ration in England, Canada, and the United States. The cessation of European hostilities, far from alleviating the food position, means that further calls will be made on the Allies’ food resurces to feed the liberated countries, where in certain areas millions of people are unable to obtain the bare minimum of food to maintain health.” He added that foods such as. sugar, which were imported to New Zealand, were allocated in London by the Ministry of Food, and New Zealand had at all times been equitably treated by the Ministry in receiving its share of available quantities from the Empire pool. Although there might be substantial quantities of sugar in Australia .and Fiji, this did not alter the fact that there was an all-over world shortage. Australia had a larger ration than New Zealand because she produced sugar and was faced with shipping problems similar to those of Fiji.