AUSSIE MEAT RATION

Grey River Argus, 15 January 1944, Page 5

AUSSIE MEAT RATION

NEXT MONDAY’S START Butchers Organise (Special to N.Z. Press Assn). (Rec. 7.25) SYDNEY, Jan. 14. Australian meat rationing will begin on Monday. In consequence a heavy rush by the public to purchase the last of pre-coupon meat supplies, is reported. People with refrigerators are believed to be accumulating home stores .of meat, to ease the first weeks of rationing. Strong opposition is being voiced by, butchers to the meat rationing plan. This has prompted the Minister of Trade and Customs, Senator Keane, to warn them that the Government would take over the meat distribution of the butchers attempted to interfere with the supplies to the public. , , The ‘Minister had earlier charged the New South Wales Master Butchers’ Association with “organising a plot to defeat the meat rationing.” He also claimed that the Association had made money available to a small political group to create public opposition to the scheme. An official of the Association, in sr heated denial of any conspiracy, said: “The Minister is perhaps looking for a scapegoat if the whole meat rationing scheme breaks down.” . In Melbourne, a rationing official was Howled down' and counted out, when he attempted to explain the details of the rationing scheme to a meeting of twelve hundred bulchers. 'Members of Parliament are reported as having received hundreds of letters demanding their opposition, in Parliament, to the meat .rationing. Many of the letters are printed, and are in “circular” form. However, some authoritative criticism has been voiced of methods by which meat rationing will be imposed. The great majority of Australians accept the rationing as inevitable, and are awaiting a practical experience of the scheme before criticising the details. The principal point of valid criticism has been the Government’s failure to register customers with individual butchers. This registration of customers is part of Britain s smooth working and efficient rationing system. Because owners feared that under meat rationing their pets would have to go hungry, an unprecedented destruction of dogs and cats is reported by lethal chambers throughout Australia. _