TEA RATIONING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3151, 31 July 1942, Page 5

TEA RATIONING

SYSTEM WORKING WELL COMMENTS IN THE TRADE SOME BUY MORE THAN NEEDS iSome people who have not been consuming the full amount of their monthly tea ration have wondered whether there was actually more tea being sold now ’ than before rationing started: if so, it would seem that the rationing system was defeating the purpose for which it was set up. In order to test out this position inquiries were made of some of the leading grocers in iPaeroa to-day. One retailer pointed out that the only source of any authoritative statement would be the Government department handling the records of tea consumption and be went on to say that if the sale of tea was exceeding the supply some alteration would certainly have been made by the Government. From the point of view of the supplier, he knew that not more, but less, tea was being used, now because heavy tea drinkers could not get sufficient tea for their requirements. He cited cases of two people using in normal times nearly a pound of tea between them in one week. Under the rationing system, those people would certainly be of the opinion that there was not enough tea; but because they realised rationing was necessary they were making adjustments accordingly. The grocer said that if anyone had reason to complain it would foe the heavy tea drinkers and as they were not doing so he thought it was unreasonable of those .who used little tea to say anything about the system. There was no more need now for them to buy more tea than-they required than there was before rationing came in. There were numerous instances of people not redeeming their coupons and surrendering those that were out of date when they were getting their next supply of rationed goods. Differing Needs

“No rationing system can .be perfect, and it takes time to test a system out,” said another retailer. When a system was worked out to give everyone an average portion of the available supply there were bound to be many consumers who needed neither more or less than that average; but the ones who used less should be careful not to judge the system on their requirements alone.

The whole problem of what was used or not used was a personal one. For instance, he said, some people considered it was unnecessary for children to have the same type of rationing book as adults, thinking that very young children would use no tea and very little sugar. ‘But there was nothing to prevent a mother giving her children tea at the age of three if she chose to do so. And the grocer also pointed out that although a baby might not need sugar yet its mother might require more sugar than ustial to feed it properly. Another grocer said that he had a very narrow margin of surplus tea last month from the amount of tea that was issued to him. Bumming up, it was evident that the rationing system was working out remarkably well and that there was not more tea but less being sold, which was the aim of the system. Those who felt the ration was too liberal had the remedy in their own hands —they could buy less.