RATIONING IN AUSTRALIA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 13 June 1942, Page 5

RATIONING IN AUSTRALIA

CLIMATIC DIFFICULTIES

BOOKS DISTRIBUTED THIS WEEK-END j (Rec. 10.40 a.m.) Sydney, This Day. Nearly eight million ration books containing more than a thousand million clothing and tea coupons, plus blanks which can be adapted for other purposes, are being distributed throughout Australia this week-end. The problem of dealing with the coupons when they are presented will concern more than 40,000 retailers. The cost of distributing the ration books is about £IOO,OOO and some forty thousand officials are employed. The books contain a year’s supply of 122 clothing coupons. Their use I will be immediately required for purj chases but 56 tea coupons will not yet |be used. Only half the clothing cou'pons can be used before 15th Not ember. Special arrangements are being made j to provide parcels for prisoners of war, for newly married couples and expectant mothers. The computation of the ration scale has still not been revealed. This has been difficult, one reason being that the climates of other rationed countries are more less uniform while Australia has a continental range of temperatures between Hobart and Darwin. Throughout Australia many hundreds of people will have to apply for the new identity cards without which the ration books are unobtainable. This is expected to provide an effective check on tax evaders. The last days before the introduction of rationing saw another rush of buying by the public. All stores are now closed until. Tuesday next to enable them to organise to meet the introduction of the coupon system.—Special P.A. Australian Correspondent.