Cheese For Those Who Need It

Northern Advocate, 27 May 1941, Page 7

Cheese For Those Who Need It

The London “News Chronicle” ot April 4, said: It has been announced that farm workers and underground miners—two classes of men whose heavy labour is wresting from the earth oui food and warmth—are to get from May 5 a ration of half a pound of cheese under the Food Minister’s new scheme for allocating available supplies where they are most needed. It is an established fact that these two groups—and others may yet be added—have a bread-and-cheese lunch income and tradition which has been particularly hard hit by the present shortage of cheese. Therefore, Lord Woolton has decided that they shall have a weekly ration of Boz, while the rest of us shall be permitted to buy loz a week. Since a single ounce of cheese would hardly be missed by the sedentary workers and other families who, in any case, have had to do without cheese for months because it has been unobtainable in many districts, why not devote all cheese supplies that can be obtained to those who need it most in the effort towards victory? Assuming the population of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to be 48,000,000, and discounting the claims of the Services, it is estimated that about 40,000,000 of us will register for one, ounce a week ration.

Latest available figures for the Two categories of workers to get the Boz ration are:

Underground mine workers 775,000 Farm labourers 1,195,000

These, with other workers who may yet be'granted the larger cheese ration" (and the vegetarians to whom it has been decided to give the Boz portion), will total approximately 2J millions.

If the 40 millions who are expected to register for loz a week were to forgo their share, it would be possible to give the men who really need it a pound and a half ration of cheese, instead of half a pound. Perhaps Lord Woolton will consider this plan instead of the compromise solution at present contemplated. Properly “put over” as a patriotic appeal, such a plan would be likely to win a wide response from the public, : ,/ ■■■'