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Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4529, 28 January 1942, Page 4

In order to meet the requirements of the Food Controller for larger supplies of biscuits for the Forces, the firms engaged in the industry in New Zealand have agreed to reorganise their businesses. As a result, there will be a reduction in the varieties and quantities available for domestic consumption, but it is estimated that the supplies will be sufficient for normal requirements. Biscuits did not figure prominently in the military ration in the Great War, but there were welcome “buckshee” issues on occasion, especially when some Y.M.C.A. officer had a couple of coppers full of hot tea on some entraining or detraining railway platform. The biscuit industry is a substantial one, the value of land, buildings, plant and machinery last year being put down at £1,170,000, with over 3500 hands employed. The annual output of biscuits rose from 7592 tons in 1938-39 to 9537 tons in 1940-41, and an idea of the pressure caused by the military orders is given by the fact that in the latter year the overtime totalled 242,268 hours. The value of the products, which included confectionery, was £2,626,000.