THIS ENGLAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 2, 7 March 1947, Page 3

THIS ENGLAND

NO HAPPY LAND TODAY PLIGHT OF THE AVERAGE PERSON England today is not providing the most comfortable of living, and the slowness in any improvement in the conditions that were hoped would end not long after the enemy was defeated is causing considerable dissatisfaction. A recent letter received in Dunedin tells its own story, and if is worth noting that this letter was from a woman who wrote regularly during the war years and never voiced a complaint. After referring to the difficulties that are put in the way of making only slight alterations to an old property, she says: “I don't mind admitting that we are all absolutely fed up with being dictated to. During the war we put up with a great deal—more than most places—and did not grumble (at least not much) but we are all getting tired and annoyed with the way we are being treated now. We have had smaller rations, and have been rationed for a longer time than any other country, and yet we have to keep on being rationed. Worse, we are now rationed on things which we could get during the war. “Honestly, since the war was over we are much worse off. We are heartily sick of queuing for everything. Also we are tired of having the same things to eat month after month, year after year. There is no variety, and we have to ‘make do,’ and live on the promise that things will get better some day. This Government seems to think we can be put off with substitutes and promises.

That Butter Deal “You can have no idea how people felt when we read about 10,000 tons of New Zealand butter going to America. The next day it was stated that the butter was going to American troops, and that w r e would get the equivalent from America in other fats. They could have the butter and we could be put off with other fats. Our fat ration for each person a week is 7oz (made up of 4oz margarine 2oz butter, and loz lard for one week, and for the next week 2oz margarine, 4oz butter and loz lard). You can imagine we have to go very careful. During the war we had Boz butter each a week.

“Now they are starting to ration bread, and it is going to cost the country £I,OOO a day to carry it out. We are to be allowed nine units a week for each adult. We two get 18 units, and this is what they will buy: Two units, a small load; three units, lib flour; and one unit lib of cakes, buns or scones. We eat on an average now one small loaf a day. (We have only that for breakfast, toasted, as we get only 4oz bacon a week each, and we have that for one of our dinners). So of our 18 units we use 14 for bread, leaving us four for any flour, cakes, or scones. Then they kindly tell you that if you have any left overs they will exchange them for ‘points’ for other food. “What annoys me is that other countries think we are getting things of all kinds because our industries are so busy. What we ai’e making is for export only, as we are being constantly told. E. is married to an Army officer, and will shortly be joining her husband in Germany. She has to take all her own linen, china, glass, cooking utensils, etc. These things have been short for years, but we managed to scrape a few together by combing the shops. In one shop where I was getting pans the man said: ‘You shouldn’t bother about these things here. You can buy everything you want, in Brussels if you can get there.’ I tried to get a china tea service, but could get only plain white, which have been on sale for years now, and are not very attractive. I said that I

thought fancy china was being made again. ‘Oh, yes,’ replied the assistant. ‘For export only.’ When you get that sort of thing thrown at you a few times it becomes a problem to control yourself. Land of Plenty

“M and I have just had a holiday in Ireland. I have not seen anything for years like I saw there in the shops. They were packed with everything—things we had almost forgotten had existed. As for food—well I put on weight. We got more meat at one helping than we get for our week’s ration; then they would ask us if we’d like a second helping. We were always asked at breakfast if we would have two eggs with our bacon and sausage. (If we are lucky we get sausage once a week here). “The fruit was also lovely. We could get any quantity of bananas, lemons, gooseberries, strawberries, grapefruit (oranges were just coming in when we left). Here we have had one grapefruit between us in six years, and I have not seen a lemon or a gooseberry since we returned home. Strawberries were

selling in Ireland m abundance at 3s a pound; at the «ame time we read that strawberries were being flown from Holland to England, and were retailing at 30s a pound. If you can make sense of those prices you can do more than I can.”

The writer lists many other things obtainable in plenty, and ends with a note of regret that they could not take anything back to England with them. They visited a friend’s place and found new linoleums, carpets, and china, marked “Made in England” about the house. “This friend was very surprised when we commented on them, and said: ‘But you are making all this sort of thing in England. You must be able to buy them.’ She could not believe that it was only people like herself, who did not live where the goods were being made, who could buy them. In the shops here we have been told that the manufacturers cannot get linseed oil for making linoleum as it is being used in margarine. Another shop told us that Russia was buying all the linseed oil and did not care what price was paid for it. We do not know what is happening. “All I know is that we didn’t want to come back from Ireland, but it is impossible to get a house there. Such a lot of English people have been trying to get them as they are tired, of conditions here. Many factories, too, are going over there from this country. They are being driven out by high taxation. If this Government is in power much longer I don’t know what will happen to this poor old country. “You are probably fed up with this long grouch. But it’s done me good to get it out of my system. Besides I thought you people in New Zealand might think we are well off as they did in Ireland. It’s time other countries knew just what we are pqtting up with.”