SUPPLIES OF EGGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 7

SUPPLIES OF EGGS

MINISTER’S VIEW NOT SHARED! NO NEED FOR HOUSEWIVES ! TO CURTAIL CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 24. Strong exception to the advice of the Minister of Marketing, Hon. H. G. Barclay, to housewives to be .satisfied with smaller supplies of eggs, and to substitute meat and fruit for them, is taken by members of the CanterburyDistrict Egg Marketing Advisory Committee. , The Minister said last week that he hoped housewives would remember that unusual quantities of eggs were required for the armed forces, and that they would refrain from forcing up prices further by insistently demanding eggs for household purposes. The committee has sent a telegram of protest to the Minister, stating that it considered he had inaccurately described the position. The chairman (Mr. T. S. Dove) asked how the Minister’s advice could possibly help the war effort. Many thousands of men who had formerlybeen consumers were now abroad on active service. There was not much evidence to show that eggs were served to the rank and file of the Army as part of their ordinary fare. Between February and August there would indeed be the usual drop in production, but if prices rose they would not necessarily mean higher returns to the producers. Because of the high cost of imported grain, manyegg producers all over New Zealand had been forced out of business recently. The net return to one producer he knew for 330 dozen eggs, with top wholesale price of 2s 3d a dozen, was only Is 5.9 d a dozen.