BRITISH FOOD RATIONING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23542, 30 December 1939, Page 6

BRITISH FOOD RATIONING

Extensions in the British scheme of food rationing have been officially announced. In point of fact, rationing has not yet commenced, for the restrictions on purchases of butter and bacon will not become operative until January 8. This initial step was announced some time ago, but now the Minister of Food; Mr. W. S. Morrison, has stated that rationing will also apply to sugar and meat. The control over retail sugar sales will date from January 8, but the full scheme for meat has not yet been completed. Mr. Morrison has also said that rations are being fixed on a per capita basis sufficiently high to ensure that normal standards of nutrition are fully maintained. The position with regard to butter and bacon has already been examined. Large supplies of these foodstuffs customarily reach Britain from Denmark and the Baltic States, but exports from these sources have been seriously interrupted by the war. With regard to sugar and meat, difficulties have arisen not only from shipping delays and from the necessity of obtaining full supplies for the troops, but also from the pressing need to conservo overseas credits as far as possible in order that Britain will to exert her full financial strength in the purchase of munitions and other military requirements. In any case, it is better that rationing should be imposed early in the struggle, with reasonable supplies for all, than that there should be unequal buying, the growth of food queues and ultimately more stringent restrictions than those now imposed. Britain has learned from the last war and is conserving her food supplies virtually from the start. The responsibility,> however, does not rest solely with the British Government. Butter, bacon and meat are all exported from New Zealand and it is the duty of all interested parties in the Dominion—farmers, exporters, waterside workers and the rest —to sec that the maximum supplies are sent forward with the minimum of delay.