Food Gift Parcels Discovered to be Not True to Label

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26581, 2 October 1947, Page 6

Food Gift Parcels Discovered to be Not True to Label

N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 1. Criticism of the packing of New Zealand food parcels by firms in the Dominion has been referred unofficially to the High Commissioner, Mr W. J. Jordan. The comment was made that many parcels sometimes did not contain the goods listed on the t labels. “I examined some of the parcels as the result of these criticisms,” said Mr Jordan, “ and there is no doubt that some firms, and one Auckland firm in particular, are not including in the parcels goods as labelled. For instance, I have seen labels merely marked honey, meat, fish and cheese, and giving no price. They do not contain cheese, and evidently whole toheroas are regarded as fish. Many people in England do not know how to cook or use toheroas, and so cannot makfe use of them. I have also seen labels indicating that dripping to the value of Is lOd was in a parcel, but inside there had only been a half-pound tin. “ I think the position might be watched,” Mr Jordan added, “ since many New Zealanders are paying for gift parcels and apparently the people they are intended for are not receiving the goods which the buyers are evidently assured will be put in the parcels. I would like to emphasise that there is no complaint from the people who receive the parcels. They are deeply grateful for them.”