AID FOR BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26781, 26 May 1948, Page 4

AID FOR BRITAIN

WORKING BASIS NEEDED CLAIM BY DEPUTY CHAIRMAN REPORTS TO BE PREPARED The opinion was expressed by the deputy chairman of the Aid for Britain Committee, Mr A. C. Stephens, at a meeting of the committee last night, that it was time the committee adopted a working basis. He added that the committee had sent certain suggestions to the National Council, but had done practically nothing in the city except collect a certain amount of money to aid Mr P. Barling’s scheme for the collection of fat for Britain.

Mr Stephens said that the, committee had made representations to the council on primary production and shipping, but local plans could be implemented for gift parcels, coupon saving, fat collection, and the avoidance of waste. He said that there was a difference of opinion about the value of saving food coupons, but if there were merit in it. the committee should say so and contradict the rumours that were being heard. Fat collection was a problem, but he thought it could be dealt with successfully. Mr W. R. Clarke said that the position on the waterfront was that if goods were available, they could be shipped overseas, but there were not enough to keep the men going. “ Can we say to the farmer: You must produce 50 per cent, more? Can we say to the transport men: You must carry goods that are not available?" he asked. Mr Clarke added that the primary producer, however, could be told that he could produce more, especially cereal crops, with a little extra effort. Statistics showed that less ground was going under the plough now than formerly. Mr Clarke added that he was not satisfied that sea transport was being used most effectively to avoid waste. As far as food parcels were concerned, he thought that the closing dates for parcel posts should be advertised. He would say that there was not much meat going to the United Kingdom as the result of coupons being saved in Dunedin, although more meat than butter coupons were handed in to the Post Office. He added that a decision should be made that a certain quantity of meat should be made available, in New Zealand, and the remainder’ should be shipped overseas. At the same time he did not think New Zealand should press for increases in the price of the meat she sold to the United Kingdom.

By way of explanation, the chairman, Mr R. C. Burgess, explained that individual parcels were sent only by private people in the Dominion, and bulk parcels were handled by the Red Cross Society, which sent them to the British Ministry of Supply for distribution. He added that the committee had visited abattoirs to try to ascertain whether coupon saving had achieved anything, but nothing decisive had resulted. The trouble with suggestions to the National Council was that in some cases it could take them no further. The waterfront was satisfactory as far as the South Island was concerned, but difficulties in the North Island ports affected the aid for Britain effort. Mr Burgess added that the Farmers’ Federation was handling the primary production effort itself, and would approach the National Council if it needed assistance. On the motion of Mr Stephens, it was decided that the sub-committees should prepare reports on the subjects mentioned for discussion by the committee as they became available.