IMPORTERS AND SARDINES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25800, 22 March 1945, Page 9

IMPORTERS AND SARDINES

Sir,—Even if the Importers’ Association is oblivious to the fact that the New Zealand public Is aware that their propaganda Is aimed at assisting the importers, but not the consumers, at least it might have considered Britain's food position before advocating the importation of sardines into the Dominion. If the argument that sardines are an important foodstuff to New Zealand is sound, then surely they are a hundred fold more necessary to Britain’s stricken population. With the cut in the export of meat from the United States- to Britain, it is remarkable that this select group of disappointed men should publish such a statement, as appeared in to-day’s issue of your paper. Furthermore, it is a reflection on Canada, a great member of the British Empire, to infer that it would export foodstuffs to New Zealand, a land of heavy primary production, when the people of Britain are in danger of having their already meagre meat ration cut. The comparison between the £45,000,000 sterling funds in 1935 and the £47,000,000 in 1945, would not be complete without mentioning the fact that, in 1935, these funds were available for the importation of foodstuffs into New Zealand, but the people had no money with which to purchase the goods. In fact, over 100,000 of our population were on the verge of starvation.—l am, etc., Not Deceived.