Letters to a Soldier

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 205, 30 August 1943, Page 3

Letters to a Soldier

Dear Jack, —I went out to Bob’s place yesterday atternoou. You would have laughed—l rode out on your old bicycle, as the gallon and a half of benzine that we get each month does not permit any joy-riding. You would have laughed at Bob, too, remembering how in pre-war days his idea of a perfect Saturday afternoon was to be out at the Park. Well, now he “digs for victory” instead, and has got quite a promising crop of vegetables coming on. In case you think he has suddenly got virtuous, the fact is that any man with a family has to provide himself with some of these necessities these days, as the Government organization has at times broken down, and it has been impossible to buy vegetables ht. a reasonable price.

You know, of course, that ruo£t of the distribution of foodstuffs is handled by the Internal Marketing Department, but this has become a rather bad joke, as everything it touches, it makes a mess of. Bob has even started a small hen run—would you believe it? * — because for some time he had difficulty getting eggs for the children, although strangely enough, whenever he went to Christchurch, he was able to get a boxfull with no trouble, and bring them home to the family. What an advertisement for State control! Plenty of eggs in one town, and none in another only a few hours away. However, that’s the way things go here nowadays. Lemons have been fantastically expensive. 1 put im a couple of trees myself and they are coming along quite well. I hope by the time they are bearing fruit there will be a sane Government in power, and the marketing of food-stuffs will be done by men who know the job. Still, the trees will always be ornamental. Mother sends her love. —Dad. —*