TOBACCO ISSUES

Grey River Argus, 16 February 1946, Page 5

TOBACCO ISSUES

NO SPECIAL PRIVILEGES Minister Explains Facts GREYMOUTH PROTEST UNJUSTIFIED. P.A. WELLINGTON, February 15. ■ A reply to the newspaper references to “special privileges” as having been granted to a certain section of workers to enable them to secure supplies of tobacco and cigarettes, was made to : day by the Minister ’of Supply, Hon. D. G. Sullivan. “Both in the House and in the press, I have made statements, in the past, setting out the basis on which these special issues are made,” . said Mr Sullivan. “The Factory Controller also advises me that both he and his officers have been contacted, on many occasions, and have given full explanations to all enquiries. There is nothing secret about the system whatsoever, as anyone who has made direct inquiry will know.

“Special issues of tobacco are restricted to workers who. because of the seasonal nature of their work, are for a period residing away from their usual place of residence. It is reasonable to assume that, in these circumstances, workers are unable to obtain supplies of tobacco, as retailers will be anxious to supply their regular customers from quotas which they have been receiving. * _ “To ensure that special supplies are made available only to diverted workers concerned, instructions are, of course, given to the retailer.

“Allocations have been made Io workers in shearing gangs, harvesting groups, freezing works, timber works, and, in the case of coal mines, where new mines have been opened in a district, oi’ extra manpower has been directed to a mine, thus involving an increased demand on the retailers. .

“Officers of my Department check the position continuously, and, as soon as the reason for workers being in a district ceases, allocations are reduced or cancelled. An example occurred the other day when the ‘Karepo’ was placed on the floating dock in Wellington for urgent, repairs, and engineers had to be directed, for a few weeks, from Dunedin, to assist. Tobacco supplies were made available specially for these men, and will be discontinued as soon as the men return to Dunedin. Similar instances have occurred in the past, and no doubt will occur again; and, providing the conditions are the same, namely, that men are directed from their usual place of residence, supplies at the rate of 2 ounces per man per week will be provided, to be cancelled as soon as direction ceases.

“Where men have raised the question of unequal or unsatisfactory distribution, the matter has been looked into immediately by officers of my Department, and, in many cases,, it has been found that the difficulty is due to irregular deliveries from merchants, the major cause of which is connected with coastal shipping. “Particularly In Southland and on the West Coast, irregular coastal shipping may mean that tobacco may arrive a few days late, and, because of a very low stock position, men have been short of tobacco until a boat arrives.

“It is quite untrue that special issues have been made just to get men back to work. Unfortunately, in some cases, men have threatened to go on strike before their case has been placed before my Department, and it has -been found, on inquiry, that, had they supplied particulars of men diverted to works, special supplies would have been made to cover such men, and, on an assurance that supplies would be made available, any question of a strike has been dropped. “My officers, in association with the tobacco companies, have done their utmost to allocate the present production in as equitable a manner as possible. Cases of special issues have been kept to an absolute minimum, and no special issues are made without a request being fully investigated, and quite justified, in accordance with the ruling I have already laid down.

“There is no question of giving to certain groups of workers supplies which originally belonged to the general public, but it must be realised that in certain circumstances, men are not in a position to obtain their normal supplies, and it is only in such instances that special issues have been authorised.” The Minister concluded by stating that the Factory Controller had assured him that in no case had any increased allocations been made, except, for an influx of workers, due to manpower directions, or where there had been a substantial and permanent increase in population in any district.

The Chit system, he said, was not an official rationing system, but it was the means adopted by Unions to honour their obligations to the Factory Controller that they would ensure that extra allocations for man-power-ed workers were received by those workers.

“The resolution, from Greymouth, this week, on which there has been considerable press criticism,. is therefore based on wrong premises,” said the Minister.