COLLECTION OF FATS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26242, 28 August 1946, Page 3

COLLECTION OF FATS

LITTLE PROGRESS MADE WOMEN LEAD THE WAY POSITION IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS Women in country districts, who have been perturbed by the waste of edible fats while others overseas were in dire need of the commodity to supplement a scanty diet, have acted while the Otago Famine Relief Committee has been unable to work out a practicable scheme for the bulk collection af fats from country districts. Carefully conserving their fats, the country women have packed it in 71b treacle tins and have sent it for transmission" to England in parcels being forwarded by the Navy League. It was stated yesterday in answer to inquiries by a Daily Times reporter that the women are not worrying about obtaining a subsidy for the fats they collect, but are keen to send it as soon as possible where it is most needed. Original Scheme Retained The Famine Relief Committee has made little further progress in the bulk collection of fats from the country districts apart from sending out five 44gallon drums to the Balclutha and Outram Relief Committees, and arranging for the collection to be consigned to McLeod Brothers at Burnside, the committee to pay the charges to rail. Additional drums have been promised to the Federated Farmers. The latest development in the scheme for collection in other country districts occurred at the last meeting of the Otago Committee, when it was decided that the collection should be made as before through the respective branches of the Farmers’ Federation throughout the province. Little fat came to' Dunedin under this scheme before the last meeting as the majority of the farmers are stated to regard the plan as impracticable, and it does not appear likely that much more fat for Britain will be collected by this method. It has been stated that some fat has been sent to Dunedin through the stock agents, acting on behalf of farmers, but this has been sold for them at the current market rates, and they have not received the benefit of the subsidy available to farmers. Certification by an independent body of the fact "that the fat has been supplied by a farmer is necessary before the farmer can obtain the subsidy, and no authority has been given for stock agents to act in this capacity. In fact, it is doubtful whether they would be prepared to do so, unless it were to oblige their clients. Lack of Containers The present scheme provides for the various branches of the Federated Farmers to act as collectors, and for them to administer the payments and subsidies. It has been pointed out that as those from whom the fat would be available are all working farmers, and none would have sufficient time to devote to the accountancy and collection side of handling quantities of fats from individuals in their areas, the scheme is not likely to receive much support. The farmers, it is stated, have had difficulty in finding suitable containers for their individual collections, and in many cases the 44-gallon drums proposed would be too large for them. It has been left to the women to make the most practical contribution towards the provision of edible fats for Britain. Throughout the area from Palmerston to Queenstown and Gore, in which branches of the Federated Farmers operate, the women have been collecting their’fat, in some cases boiling it down at the local butchers’ shops over the week-ends, and putting it into treacle tins and other containers ready for immediate despatch. It is stated that such depots at Maniototo, Lauder, Milton, Berwick, and Tapanui, among others, are busily engaged in the work. For lack of a suitable means of collection, it is stated that fat has been buried by farmers in the Kelso district.