TEA RATIONING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 93, 19 August 1942, Page 6

TEA RATIONING

SYSTEM WORKING WELL * . COMMENTS IN THE TRADE Some people Avho liave not been consuming" the full amount, of their monthly tea ration have wondered whether there was actually more tea being' sold now than before rationing started; if so, it would seem that the rationing system was defeating the purpose for which it was set up. In order to test out this position inquiries were made of some of the grocers in Whakatanc. One retailer pointed out that the only source of any authoritative statement would be the Government department handling the records of tea consumption and he went on to say that if the sale of tea was exceed}ing the supply some alteration would certainly have been made by the Government. From the point of view of the supplier, he knew that not more, bu|t less, tea was being used now because heavy tea drinkers could not get sufficient tea for their requirements. He cited cases of two people using in normal times a pound of tea between them in one week. Under the rationing system, those people would certainly be of the opinion that there was not enough tea; but because they realised rationing was necessary they were making adjustments- accordingly. The grocer said that if anyone had reason to complain it Avduld be the heavy tea drinkers and as they were, not doing so he thought it was unreasonable of those who used little tea to say anything about the S5 T stem. There was no more need now for them to buy more tea than 'they required than there was before

rationing came in. There were numerous instances of pedple not redeeming their coupons and surrendering those that were out of date when the)* were getting their next supply of rationed goods.

Differing Needis "No rationing system can be perfect and it takes time to test a system out," said another retailer. When ■ a system wa.s wo rived out to give everyone an. average portion of the available supply there were bound to be many consumers who needed more or less than that average; but the ones who used less should be careful not to judge the sj'stem on their requirements alone.

The whole problem of what was used or not used was a peiisonal one. For instance, he said, some people considered it was unnecessary for children to have the same type of rationing book as adults, thinking that very young children would use no tea and very little sugar. But there Avas nothing to prevent a mother giving her children tea at the age of three if she chose to do so. And the grocer also pointed out that although -fi baby might not need sugar its mother might require more sugar, than usual to feed it properly.