SUGAR RATIONING

Grey River Argus, 20 March 1945, Page 3

SUGAR RATIONING

MINISTER EXPLAINS CHANGE. REPLY TO MASTER GROCERS. P.A. WELLINGTON. March 19. Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, on behalf of the Minister of Supply, stated tonight: “It is not correct for the secretary of the Master Grocers’ Federation to say that the Federation has not been consulted about the cancellation of the registration provisions for sugar, as all aspects of the subject have been discussed by Rationing Controller and his officers with the executive and council of the Federation, and the views of the Federation were fully known when the decision was made not to continue with registration. Mr. Nordmeyer said that one of the main loopholes through which sugar had escaped Was connected with registration. A substantial umber of grocers throughout New Zealand had been disposing of quantities of sugar which had not been picked up by registered customers. In the aggregate this amounted to a substantial quantity, and there was no way to close the gap under the registration system. The Minister referred to convictions that had been recorded against grocers for black marketing such sugar and said that the. saving of sugar at the present time was of more importance than the continuation of registration for the sake of easy distribution of lines in 'Short supplyOther avenues would be found for the distribution of such items, even if it meant that the use of additional coupons. The Minister added that he felt sure grocers would co-operate when they realised that non-registra-tion was one of the things necessary to maintain the ration at the highest I possible level. ( INVERCARGILL, March 19. < lhe Southland Master Grocers’ As-

sociation is falling into line with other centres and will not cut out any sugar coupons until finality is reached with the Minister of Supply. In the meantime, the consuming public is requested to draw sugar from grocers with whom they are registered.