FOOD FOR ENGLAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 68, 1 May 1946, Page 7

FOOD FOR ENGLAND

LIST OF REFERENCES FOR PARCELS FROM NEW ZEALAND “It is merely a list of what people at Home would like to receive,” states a letter from Sir Patrick Duff, in reply to a request for particulars regarding the most suitable foodstuffs to send to^Britain. Sir Patrick’s lists are:—

First preference: Powdered milk (full cream), condensed milk full cream (sweetened if possible), dried fruit, fruit cake (in tins), tinned meats, treacle and golden syrup (carefully sealed), lard or cleaned dripping (in tins), sugar, malted milk, tinned bacon and tinned fruits, also washing soap or soap flakes (in tins or packed with tinned food only).

Second preference and fill-upc of vacant spaces: Jelly crystals, soup cubes or tinned soup, cocoa or cocoa malt, coffee, junket tablets, flour puddings, custard powder, tinned or compressed vegetables.

Gift Conditions

With the letter there was a circular giving conditions governing gift parcels of food sent to individuals in Britain and also consignments of food sent to organisations for general distribution:—“Gift parcels sent by the post to individuals in the United Kingdom, when not exceeding 111 b gross weight, are exempt from the necessity of an import license in the United Kingdom.

“If food is included the total weight of food must not exceed 71b, and the parcel may not contain more than 21b of any one foodstuff. ‘The parcels must be clearly marked ‘Gift’; they must be bona fide unsolicited gifts and must not be sent more frequently than once a month to the same person. This is because, when everyone in Britain is practically on the bare subsistence level, the only thing that makes their meagre ration tolerable is that everyone is being treated completely and absolutely alike. If one or two lucky individuals, who are fortunate to have friends overseas, were habitually to have more than their neighbours it might arouse a general sense of unfairness.

“While the United Kingdom authorities retain the right to demand Customs duty and purchase tax oil the contents of gift parcels, these are in practice waived if gift parcels comply with the foregoing conditions. Parcels which do not comply with the conditions will be liable to seizure. Allocation Centre “Individuals or organisations in New Zealand anxious to send substantial consignments of parcels to the United Kingdom may like to know of the existence of the Overseas Gifts (Food) Allocation Centre at the Ministry of Food, Portman Court, Portmdn Square, London. Gifts of non-perishable foodstuffs received at this centre are either used towards the general supply of food to the whole nation, or are distributed to institutions and organisations throughout the United Kingdom who are in the greatest need of some additions to their rations. (The centre cannot deal with perishable foodstuffs). Hospitals, schools and the like are likely to be the most usual recipients of gifts sent to the centre and distributed in this way. If it is desired to send parcels to a particular charitable organisation or similar institutions in the United Kingdom, they can be so earmarked when being dispatched to the centre, which, however, is grateful for discretion to use them, if need be, not for the particular purpose indicated, but in the light of the greatest national need at the time of receipt. “The - Minister of Food will pay freight charges from the f.o.b: stage in the country of origin and all the expenses of distribution in the United Kingdom on all gifts of food consigned to the centre for distribution to charitable institutions and so forth.”