CLOTHES RATIONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20570, 2 June 1941, Page 5

CLOTHES RATIONS

BRITISH SCHEME ALL ON SAME LEVEL PURCHASES BY COUPONS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. June 2, 9 a.m.) LONDON, June 1. The British Government is introducing to-day an extensive scheme of rationing of clothing, cloth, footwear and knitting wool. Everyone will receive G 6 coupons a year, in which trafficking is forbidden. Under the scheme a man’s suit and shirt require 26-28 coupons and a woman’s dress 11 coupons. The system. iSN expected to go some way to prevent a shortage of supply in cheaper goods from arising. Although a wealthy customer may pay £l2 12s for a suit, he cannot buy beyond the limit for his coupons. The same right is open to a man whose suit costs £2 10s. Reduction of 20 Per Cent It is probable that a family with an income of £4 5s weekly will find the coupon system will reduce their consumption of footwear and clothing by about 20 per cent. Rationing will probably require slightly more , than the present level of production. It is not designed to restrict the supply so much as to overcome geographicaFand social maldistribution.

The Board of Trade worked in the closest secrecy on the clothing coupon scheme. The secret was well kept. On Saturday night throngs in the shopping centres of Britain had no idea that their last chance had gone to buy clothes without coupons when the shutters were put up for the week-end. It is stated that the scheme is chiefly aimed at overcoming bad distribution of supplies caused by the movements of population due to evacuation, and is also intended to prevent hoarding.