NEW ZEALANDERS CAN BEST HELP BRITAIN WITH MEAT EXPORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26958, 18 December 1948, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS CAN BEST HELP BRITAIN WITH MEAT EXPORTS

NZPA Special Correspondent LONDON, Dec. 16. “We are going back to tell the people of New Zealand that the best thing they can do to help the people of Britain is to send them more meat. By New Zealand standards, and by any standards, the present British meat ration is meagre, and we are convinced that the best service our country can do to help Britain's fight for recovery is to grow more meat for British dinner tables.” This statement was made by Mr W. Black, who, with Mr W. Sullivan, will leave for New Zealand to-morrow on the Dominion Monarch, after attending the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in London and the Joint Anglo-American Parliamentai'y Conference in Bermuda. During the course of their stay in Britain Messrs Black and Sullivan visited towns, farms, and factories in many parts of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland.

Mr Sullivan said he was most impressed by the way the ordinary British working man was tackling his problems. “The people of this country are working hard. There is no doubt about that,” he said. Mr Black, who was last in London after the First World War, when he served with the New Zealand forces, said he was sure there was a more optimistic spirit in Britain to-day than there was after the First World War. Both delegates said that it was easy to be deceived by the food visitors were served in luxury hotels in Britain. To test this, they had made a point of visiting back-street restaurants and works canteens. The food in small restaurants, in which so many British workers ate their meals, was miserable by New Zealand standards. In works canteens it was admittedly better, but it had to be realised that the standard set by the works canteens was‘not the standard in the majority of British homes.

Discussing the question of food parcels, Messrs Black and Sullivan said they were convinced the parcels, were doing a great deal to help many families in Britain, but it was important that pedple sending food gifts should concentrate as far as possible upon the things really needed in Britain. These were chiefly fats, soap, and preparations with sugar in them, such as honey and jam. Proprietary preparations which were being included in some parcels were not really needed, as they could be obtained just as easily in Britain.

Referring to their impressions of the Bermuda conference and their subsequent visit to the United States before they returned to London, the two delegates said they were impressed by the desire among the Americans they met to co-operate with the British Commonwealth. “ Some American senators may not think Britain is doing all she should do,” said Mr Sullivan, “but the average American citizen knows very well that Britain has been through a very tough time, and gives her . full credit for facing up to her problems in the way she is doing.