RATIONING SCHEME

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4559, 13 April 1942, Page 4

RATIONING SCHEME

COUPON BOOKS ON ISSUE THE' TE AWAMUTU SCENE Coupon books forming the foundation of a scheme for general rationing which will apply in the first instance to sugar and which will be extended to other goods at a later date should circumstances dictate the necessity, are now on issue at the Te Awamutu Post Office, as elsewhere throughout the Dominion. EXTRA PAGE OF COUPONS FOR WOMEN The ration books are about threequarters the size of a Post Office Savings Bank book. Males and children under 16 years of age are being issued with a book with a buff cover, and all other females are receiving one with a darker cover with the initial letter W. The book issued to the latter has an extra page of coupons. Each ration book has an individual serial number. There are four pages of coupons in the book for males and children under 16, and five pages in that for other females. Each page is of a different colour and there are 26 coupons to the page. Besides their consecutive number, coupons are also marked with a letter. Those on the first page carry the letter S, those on the second page T, those on the third page M, and those on the fourth page O. The coupons on the additional page in the book for females carry the letter X. General instructions are given in the front of the ration book. In a case of death the deceased person’s ration book must be handed to the Registrar of Deaths when the death is registered. Persons going from civil life into the armed forces must surrender their ration books to the appropriate defence authorities on entering camp. Before a person can leave the country he must get a receipt for his book from the Post Office. SOCIAL SECURITY REGISTRATION A parent or guardian may apply for the books for all members of his or her family and must produce a registration fee coupon book (that is to say, the “dole book”) for each person 16 years of age or over. As a general rule the ration book for a person under 16 years of age will be issued only on the application of a parent or guardian, but special provision has been made for a person under 16 who is living away from home and earning his or her own living. Persons who are unable to write or who through incapacity or for any other reason are unable to make personal application for a ration book may make use of an agent who must fill in a special form and submit for examination the registration fee coupon book of the person for whom the ration book is being obtained. A guardian applying for a book for a person under his guardianship will use this form also. There are some members of the armed forces who reside at home and obtain their meals privately. A person so placed may obtain a certificate to that effect on a special form provided for the purpose which must be signed by a responsible officer of the Army, Navy, or Air Force authorities. On presentation of this form at any money-order office a ration book will be issued to the holder. COLLECTIVE CONSUMERS Persons who obtain their meals at establishments which cater for numbers of people have been specially provided for. Collective consumers are classified into four categories: (1) The first includes hoardinghouses, nurses’ homes, boardingschools, purely residential hotels and construction camps where the residents as a rule stay not less than seven days continuously. In establishments of this kind the residents will hand their ration books to the proprietor or person in charge, who will use them for the purchase of rationed commodities in exactly the same way as obtains in the case of an ordinary household. (2) Residential establishments which provide meals for non-residents: This group comprises principally hotels and hostels which have both permanent and casual borders. (3) Catering establishments ((including restaurants, tearooms, milkbars, staff dining-rooms, etc., which provide meals to non-residents): Establishments in this group obtain supplies by making application to the Post Office, a special form being provided for the' purpose. (4) Institutions, i.e., establishments like orphanages and hospitals of all kinds, will obtain supplies by making application to the Post Office on a special form provided for the purpose. Detailed instructions covering the full procedure are outlined in a special leaflet which is being printed and will be available at all Post Offices to collective consumers this week. Delay in obtaining the ration book may mean inconvenience in obtaining supplies of the rationed commodity. Early application for ration books will save trouble and greatly assist the Post Office. NO DATE YET FIXED FOR RATIONING To obtain a rationed commodity, the purchaser will present a ration book to the retailer, who will cut off one of the numbered squares, which are less than the size of a postage stamp. No particular commodity is indicated in the books, and the system is designed on elastic lines to cover any article which may require to be rationed. No definite date for the coming into operation of rationing has yet been announced, but, as indicated above, sugar will be the first article covered by the new system. It should be emphasised that loose coupons must not be presented to the retailer. The coupon book must be handed to the retailer, who will detach the required coupon. ISSUE PROCEEDS IN THIS DISTRICT The issue is now proceeding at the Te Awamutu Post Office and also at Kihikihi, Pirongia, Ohaupo, Arohena, Ngaroma, Pukeatua, Te Kawa, Te I Rau-a-moa, and Otorohanga. AppliI cation forms may also be obtained

at Ngutunui, Paepaerahi and Te Mawhai. The Te Awamutu Post Office re-openg from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. each evening this week, Monday to Friday inclusive. It is asked that as many as possible attend during these hours, as the postal staff will then be dealing exclusively with the issue of the coupon books. Another request in the public interest is that townspeople, and others near in to the town, will refrain from making application at Te Awamutu during the hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, as obviously farmers from the out districts will desire to obtain their issue of the books during the day-time and there is likely to be undue congestion if the people who can attend on other days or evenings make application on that day. Applicants for coupon books must present the Social Security coupon book when applying for ' the ration book.