Plenty Of Clothing But Not Enough Coupons

Chronicle (Levin), 30 April 1948, Page 5

Plenty Of Clothing But Not Enough Coupons

(N.Z.P.A.-

—Reutef

, Coj)2jright)

Received Tliursday, 7 p.m. LONDON, April 29. Unless something is done about Britain's olothes ration, there is the possibility of the country. having the biggest black marlcet it had ever seen, Mr. W. T. Caves, secretary of the Whoiesale Textile Association, has stateci. Gtving reasons for his remark, he said elothing stoclts were jamming warehouses and the ' ( pipeline" was being chocked by the small ration. ' ' l^toeks lying idle in warehouses are valued at between £50,000,000 and £60,000,000," he stated. "They are equal to three months' supply — both outer wear and underwear — or 480, 0UU,000 elothing coupons. Because of the eoupon shortage tlie public cannot buy goods it wants. The retailer cannot purehase from the wholesaler because he has no coupons. So the warehouses are chokeful.- Alreacly stocks are 7o p.c. higher than a year ago, and the position will become desperate in a few weeks. Eighty-five per cent. ot the goods held are utility, ' ' he said. * He believed that the Government was not sufficiently in touch with the situation. "I warn them," he said, "that if this matter is liot dealt wiin quickly, we are going- to have biggest black market in the country. I beiieve there are signs of the ration system cracking. " A Board of Trade official, commenting on ITr. Gaves' statement, said: 1 ' 1 : we allovved a spending- spree now there might not be enough goods to go round later on and the ration niigiit have to be" cut. It is our policy to spread supplies eevnly ovef this year • and next."