FAT FOR BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26625, 22 November 1947, Page 6

FAT FOR BRITAIN

COLLECTION IN OTAGO A SUCCESSFUL SCHEME \ CONTRIBUTIONS INCREASING During his experience of collecting fat, he had seen no evidence of farmers and their wives desiring any incentive to save fat, apart from an absolute assurance from a reliable source that their contribution would be distributed among the poor and needy in Britain, said Mr Philip Barling, of Dunedin, yesterday, when invited to comment on the suggestion that the sufficient incentive in the way of price was not' being given farmers to save fat. “Farmers are well and truly the backbone of this agricultural country, ’ Mr Barling said. “ They r are bighearted men and have the right to demand a square deal. They feel that they have not been given one and, indeed, are smarting under the injustice of not being afforded facilities to ship fat to Britain as free gifts. They know perfectly well why Britain is hard up and short of food. _ They also know how impossible it is for the people of Britain to exist without sufficient fat and that a ration of only a few ounces a week is detrimental to the health of the nation and will evpn have its effect on the next generation.” Opportunity Appreciated Mr Barling explained that his observations were based on correspondence received daily from farmers and their wives, expressing thanks to him for the lead given to enable them to contribute to a great cause, especially in a person-to-person manner whjen must ultimately establish a great deal of goodwill betwen Otago and the people of Britain. . “ One often hears and reads of enormous quantities of fat going to waste in the country,” Mr Barling continued. “ This unquestionably was due to the absence of a specific, trustworthy and practical scheme of collecting.

Mr Barling paid a tribute to the men and women in various parts of Otago who had personally undertaken to fill as many as 75 401 b. tins by cooperative methods. Mr Barling also mentioned contributions being made by people in the city. He said that the widow of a clergyman, on a pittance of a pension, had bought enough fat to fill two 401 b tins. The Sara Cohen Kindergarten was now busy filling its third 401 b tin. The children of the Naseby School were filling their fourth tin. Parcels and small fins of edible fats were being received each day from citizens of Dunedin. Co-operation With. Committee

“ In view of the existence of a new fat-collecting, cpmmittee, I am willing to accept their offer of co-operation which will include financial and other assistance for future shipments of fat from Otago to Britain,” Mr Barling added. “ There has been no suggestion of any change in the conduct of the existing ‘Free Fat For Britain Scheme’ which has been in operation for the past few months, more especially in view of my obligations to many hundreds of supporters throughout Otago. “It should. be understood that this offer has been made to strengthen the campaign to collect gifts of fat, especi-’ ally in view of the work entailed. Contributions are continually increasing and it is obvious that they will soon be of considerable magnitude as the result of the generosity of the country people and a percentage of the city folk.” \