SAGO AND TAPIOCA

Chronicle (Levin), 8 May 1947, Page 8

SAGO AND TAPIOCA

refusal of import licences The de'cision of the Aeting Minister of Customs, Mr. Nordmeyer, to refuse impoi't lic'ences for sago aiid thus mctate yvkat the people shali ,and shall noL eat, surely shows the extent that we are living under ah au'tpcracy insteaa of a democracy, states the Bureau oi Iniporters. The reason stated was tne high pricps ruling, and the Minister 's attitude- is in marked cohtrast tp liis recent refusal to allp-s^ the importation of salt in 21b. packages at a lower price than the localiy paeked article, in oraer to maintain the complete monopoiy granted. to the localiy' paeked produce. Mr. Nordmeyer cannot reasonably criti,:ise the native growers in Malaya ror .endeavouring to better their standara'of living, Fnrther, the Minister appears to be misinformed regarding tne, position in Great Britain, aS the Bureau is reliably infornxed that that country, also India, is prepared to take the entire output of the existing factories. The Australiap Government does not denv its people the right to eonsume sago. Sago has highly nutNtive properties, and as a food for persons of.deiicate digestion and for ehildi'en, it is held in the highest'estimation. Housewives should make it very plain to the Minister that thev want'the right to buy "sago, and that import lieences should be granted immediately to enable merehants to take prompt action against future quotas, and so that New Zealand once hgain, th rough her rigid import control system, will not be too late. Mr. Nordmeyer should put mro practl_e in tlus country the ideals that the Et. Hon. Walter Nash, for whom ne is aeting, is expounding ovefseas. From Ljmns, France, Mr. Nash is reported as making the following weighty statemeht: "With -regard to sovereignties and government, I should like tp emphasise that there is no room for the domination of any one people by any one raee of people, by ony one country or by aky one elass, or for the domination of a country by any one persPn."