MEAT RATIONING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 15 April 1944, Page 4

MEAT RATIONING

“NOT A TOKEN GESTURE” STATEMENT BY MINISTER Wellington. April 14 “The people of this country can rent assured that the saving we have set out to make in meat for Great Britain will be achieved.” stated the Minister of Supply and Munitions (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan). “Meat rationing was not introduced in New Zealand merely as a token gesture, and the scheme will be administered and altered if necessary to ensure that the projected saving is effected.” Referring to the report from Christchurch published yesterday, the Minister stated that the suggestion that every abattoir in New Zealand had killed as much, if not more, meat since rationing than before was not correct. Information collected by the Rationing Controller indicated that, except in the Auckland district, where killings had been high, the general trend was a decrease in abattoir killings of from 10 per cent, to 15 per cent. Whilst this reduction was not the ultimate object of the scheme, it was nevertheless not unsatisfactory in the initial stages. "Furthermore,” Mr Sullivan, “it must be remembered that there is normally a heavy increase in killings at this time of the year on account of increased consumption with the approach of colder weather and also Because the general practice of the trade ic to kill for cool storage for winter and spring requirements. Figures of killings at the abattoirs must therefore be treated with caution. The number of beasts slaughtered is no guide ic the poundage of meat consumed. Under rationing it is obvious Iron, many of the abattoir returns that butchers arc- purchasing lighter-weight beasts than normal. It would appear fi'orr. such returns that the actual weight cf meat slaughtered since the commencement of rationing shows a saving in consumption greater than mat indicated above, i.e., 10 per cent, to 15 per rent., and proves conclusively that the carcass returns of killings by thtmselves do not present a true picture cf consumption. “It is far too early yet," added the Minister, to attempt to judge the effectiveness cr otherwise of the rationing scheme, or to make any major adjustment to a system which has yet to be properly tightened up. Meat is the most difficult of all products to ration; this has been proved by the experience in Great Britain and the United States as well as Australia. —P.A.