NO SHORTAGE OF SUGAR CANE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22472, 6 January 1943, Page 4

NO SHORTAGE OF SUGAR CANE

Problem Of Shipping Space Statement By Minister (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 5. The slogan in every home, hotel, and restaurant should be “Saving Sugar Saves Shipping,” the Hon. D. G. Sullivan stated to-day, when replying to criticisms of the Government’s actions relating to the importation, stocks, and rationing of sugar. "It had been stated,” the Minister said, “that available space for sugar cargoes had not been utilised. I wish to state most emphatically,” he said, “that all shipping space permitted to us has been accepted. The Government faces considerable difficulty in replying to false and misleading statements regarding matters of this kind, due to the danger of giving away information which, until such time as it becomes a matter of history, may be of military significance, and therefore of value to the enemy. “In the early part of 1942 a temporary prohibition on the export of sugar was imposed in the country of our normal suppliers. The British Ministry of Food, which controls the Empire’s sugar resources, immediately allocated to New Zealand specific tonnages which were available elsewhere. Unfortunately, difficulty was experienced in lifting these tonnages as quickly as we needed them. We all know, and the enemy knows now to his sorrow, that for some months in the middle of 1942 there was considerable activity at certain Pacific ports. Restrictions Becomes Necessary “During this period the volume of shipping of military equipment and personnel necessitated the enforcement of strict priority over the handling of civilian commodities. Because of these conditions our stocks of sugar dwindled so seriously about September that we were obliged to reduce the sugar ration for October and November. “As there appeared no prospect of improvement taking place, overtures were made to the Government concerned to lift the export ban on sugar from our normal suppliers, and this request was subsequently granted. As a result our stocks during the past two months have been built up to a point, where the original civilian ration could be reinstated and additional releases of sugar approved for making jams and preserves. "Criticism has also been made, due to persons gaining wrong impressions concerning the quantities of refined sugar stored at certain places throughout the Dominion,” said the Minister. “These stocks have been established as local reserves against the possible interruption of coastal shipping services between Auckland, where the refinery is situated, and southern ports, and also as additional reserves against a breakdown in the supplies of raw sugar from overseas. Reserves Distributed “In pre-war days reserves were all held in Auckland, but the position is obviously much safer with reserves spread throughout the Dominion. In spite of these reserves, however, the total stocks of both raw and refined sugar within the Dominion were reduced a short time ago to less than half of what the Government considers safe under present conditions. This illustrates the erroneous Impression which may be gained by viewing portion of the reserve in any one place, which is no indication of the whole reserve or general supply position. “I would like it to be understood quite clearly that there is no shortage of sugar cane or raw sugar within the British Empire. The controlling factor is shipping space. Sugar can or even raw sugar may have to be destroyed, as some critics have suggested, in some parts of the Empire. I have no specific Information on this point, but in any case the New Zealand Government is in no way responsible. We can only obtain shipping space for our minimum essential requirements on the basis of our rationing scheme, which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Allied Nations’ authorities controlling the distribution of food and the allocation of shipping space throughout the world.”