The Southland Times MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1942. The Extension of Rationing

Southland Times, Issue 24758, 1 June 1942, Page 4

The Southland Times MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1942. The Extension of Rationing

THE RATIONING system, originally applied to sugar and silk stockings only, has now been extended to cover clothing, footwear and tea. Public opinion is generally favourable to measures which give a reasonable protection to consumers, whose difficulties in a seller s market have been rapidly increasing. The Government’s wise handling of the scheme in its latest phase made it possible to avoid the rush buying which occurred recently in Australia. It is evident, too, that the allowances will meet average requirements. The family man, whose claims for concessions have been too often overlooked in recent years, will have the benefit of coupons which can be held over from one period to the next, and which can be transferred to different members of his family. Persons with extravagant views of what constitutes minimum buying may feel aggrieved; but the general reaction will be one of relief and approval. It should be emphasized, however, that the scheme has not been devised entirely to protect the consumer. A constricted labour market, coinciding with the extension of military requirements, has placed a heavy strain on the existing machinery of production. Now that the market for essential civilian goods is limited by a fixed demand, it should be easier to concentrate upon the manufacture of goods for war purposes. Rationing is not merely a necessary measure of market control: it is also a long step towards the shaping of a genuine war economy. The most serious weakness in New Zealand’s effort was to be found in the attempt to maintain a peace-time economy, with war-tune attachments and modifications. Since Japan’s entry into the war the balance of effort has moved towards a total mobilization of resources. The huge expenditure budgeted for the current financial year marks a decisive phase in the evolution of the national economy towards a war footing. Rationing is one of the means whereby this change can be effected without causing undue hardship to the civil population. It is doubtful if the average household expenses will be reduced. Those who buy fewer goods than formerly must pay higher prices for many lines that are in short supply, and most families have found it hard enough to satisfy essential needs. But where a surplus does exist it should be diverted into the various forms of national savings. Rationing can at least be an aid to the fostering of the individual prudence and thrift which have become indispensable features of the national effort.