BRITAIN GRATEFUL FOR N.Z. FOOD PARCELS

Chronicle (Levin), 10 December 1947, Page 5

BRITAIN GRATEFUL FOR N.Z. FOOD PARCELS

Received Tuesdav, 7.0 p.m. LOXDOX, Dec. 9. Since the Alinistry of Foods Overseas Gift Gentre which handles the distributiou of all food parcels other than personally tlirecled gifts, was established in the middle of 1946 it has received and distributed 28,796 cases of food 1'roni Xew Zealand. In addition 4831. cases are in store awaiting distrilmtion and a further 3336 cases are in trausit. As cadi case conlains approximatel^ liair a hundredweight of food tliis re presents over 920 tons of food gifts l'rom the Doiuinion. Tlie total quantity of bulk gift food handled by tlie overseas gifts eentre since it was established is 800, ()()t cases. By arrangement with the authorities in tne Dominions and colonies, tlie gift eentre allocates 30 pei cent. of each consignment to hospiitals and charitable institutions where it is allu,t^ed to sick and needy people, and tlie reniaining 70 per cent. is sent to local authorities all over the United Kiiigdotn to distribute according to the needs in individual districts. Thc Alinistry of Food considers that local weifare organisations are in the best position to decide the recipients. li all cases in wliich the donors express i desire that the food should go to speci lied areas, every eff'ort is mado to carpy out their wislies. Discussing the working of the eentre with the Xew Zealand Press Associa tion, an ofticial of tlie Alinistry of Food said that so far bulk fjgures from Xrev Zealand had come from individuaj donors, cliurches, scliools and vai'ious, local organisations. This. niethod was necessarilj- less economieal than th( supplv of food through a nationa orgauisation such as had been estab lished in ttome of tlie otlier Dominions Xevertlieless, it had advantages such as the niaintoiiaiice of a somewhat more intimate and personal connec.tion between donor and recipieut. "These comments are not in any critical spirit," he said. "We arc deeply indelited to the people of Xew Zealand and do not for a moment question their choice of niethod in sending food to this country. But it does re main true that a national organisation niight send food more economically and that from the point of view of this eentre, this might give us a freer hand in. dist ribution. " Losses of food through bad paeking, damage or pillage are small, according to the Alinistry. What trouble hau been experienced through bad paeking was usually due to the unavoidable use of secondliand crates. In general a prefereuce was expressed for small parcels of between seven and niue pounds in weight as these were more easilv and equittibly distributed than Jarger packages.