PARCELS FOR BRITAIN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 87, 3 October 1947, Page 5

PARCELS FOR BRITAIN

BULK PURCHASES FAVOURED

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DECISION

Following the recent decision of the Chamber of Commerce to become actively associated in the campaign for sending food parcels to Britain, a meeting of the Council decided recently not to recommend its members to send individual parcels, but to open a subscription list and pay over total proceeds; to the Whakatane Branch of the. Red Cross Society for the purchase of food in bulk.

The Council was largely guided by a letter from the PostmasterGeneral to the Associated Chambers of Commerce which explained that out of the postages of 2/-, 3/4, 4/6 and 7/-, payable on 31b., 71b., 11 lb. and 221 b. parcels, respectively, the New Zealand Post Office retains only 7;>d, 1/-, 1/4 and l/10|d. These sums are barely sufficient to meet the internal handling costs which include, of course, rail and sea transport within New Zealand to the port of despatch, and the provision of the receptacles necessary for the conveyance of the parcels. There, is another aspect which is sometimes overlooked. It should not be forgotten that gifts of food sent by parcel-post take up considerably more space than an equivalent amount of food sent in bulk. Any marked increase in the number of individually-addressed food -panels for the United Kingdom, therefore, would reduce to a greater extent the bulk supplies of food that could be forwarded for the benefit of the people as a whole. In this respect, too, it may be mentioned that instances have occurred in which parcel mails have been of such volume tha# certain foodstuffs available in bulk, although known to be urgently required in the United Kingdom, have had to be held over for later shipment merely because of the extent to which mail matter had reduced the availability of space for other cargo. From the announcements made from time to time by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the New Zealand Famine Emergency Committee, and other authorities, your Executive will, I am sure, be aware that not only will the United Kingdom accept all the exportable surpluses of foodstuffs and fats that New Zealand can supply, but that it is the desire of both the British and New Zealand Governments that such exportable surpluses should be increased to the greatest possible extent. Obviously, it is only by ensuring the maximum production and minimum local consumption or purchase that greater quantities can be made available for general distribution for the benefit of the people in the United Kingdom as a whole; and only in this way also can the task of their distribution of foodstuffs in all parts of the United Kingdom be lightened. To the extent to which goods are made available for purchase in New Zealand, whether for despatch as individually-addressed gift parcels or otherwise, the surpluses for general export are automatically reduced. The Council decided that 4 as the Red Cross Society was an efficient organisation with ready-made contacts for the purchase of food at wholesale rates, despatch and distribution in Britain under the name or group in New Zealand sponsoring the gift, a contribution of 30/per month (£lB annually) be made to the Society. A subscription list for the same purpose will be opened for members to contribute to individually.