What Britain Needs In Way Of Food

Chronicle (Levin), 2 September 1948, Page 8

What Britain Needs In Way Of Food

Reeeived Wodnesdav, 7 p.m. LONDON, August .31. "Now Zealand food parcels are very much appreciated in Britain. It is all very well to say, as I have heard some people say, that there is plenty of food here; it is only food of a kind, and it is very nionotonous, " said Mr. Appleton, Mavor of Wellington and chairman of' the Wellington section of the Food for Britain Campaign. Mr. Appleton .expressed the opinion that the overseas g'ifO;, section of the .M inistry of Food, wlTiVh is responsibfe for distributing the majority ' of the hulk consignments of parcels from the f)ominions, is doing very good work. Items which seemed to be cliiefly in demand were fats, soap, tinned meats such as tongues, sugar, tinned fruit, s, jams, honey, golden syrup, preserved milk, cheese, and pastry mixes. Items which were being sent in some parcels, but which were fairly 'easily obtainable in Britain already, were tinned soups, spaghetti, tinned beans, and conPlour. yrr. Appleton -said he was satisfied that the best results were obtained from bulk consignments, distributecF" under oflicial supervision in Britain, but this did not mean that he thought the sending of persoual gifts shoulcl Ire di,scouraged. These personal gifts formed very strong links between families in Britain and those who were helping the m in New Zealand', and gave the whole gifts scheme a great detil of its individual character. He had been rather astonislied to hnd that some parcelk were taking between four and six months to reaeh the recipients in the Fnited Kingdom, but in gcneral he found few reports of non-deli'very or loss by theft. Mr. Appleton said he had attended a nuniber of distributious of New Zealand parcels, ancl had been most impressed by the welcome given themv " _ Mr. Appleton has just eompleted a seven weeks' tour of proyi'ncia1 eentres.