MEAT RATION CUT BY 2D

Chronicle (Levin), 18 March 1949, Page 5

MEAT RATION CUT BY 2D

(N.Z.P.A.-

—Reuter,

Argentina Fails In Supplies To Britain

Copyright)

Received Friday, 9.45 a.m. LONDON, March 17. A reduction of the meat ration from March 27 onward to a level of 10d weekly, of which 8d worth will be carcase meat and the rest cann'ed corned meat, -was announced in the House of Comrrlons today by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Food Ministry, Dr. Edith Summerskill. The current meat ration is "lOd worth of ' carease meat and 2d worth of corned meat. Dr. Summerskill stated that the meat shipments from Argentina had not improved and, therefore, a further reduction in the moat ration becanie inevitable. "During' the last four months of 1948 we received only 51,500 tons of meat from Argentina, as against tne 130,000 tons we expected, ' said Dr. Summerskill. -"Our Ambassador has been instructed to bring pressure ac the highest level to speed up the Argentine shipments, but by then it will be physicaliy impossible for the balance to be shipped m time to fulfil the Andes Agreement. "We received an assurance that 25,000 .tons would be shipped in January, 30,000 tons in February and 30,000 tons in March. We actua.ly received 27,300 tons in January, 19,000 tons in February and we expect to get only 23,000 tons in M'U'chv When the Andes Agreement ended in- February, 108,000 tons, or over a quarter of the carease meat in the agreement, remained unshipped." Dr. Summerskill continued: "Because of the shortage of supplies during the latter part of 1948, we had to draw heavily on our stocks lu maintain the ls ration. We ended the year with 50,0U0 tons less mrat in store than a year ago. In the first four months of this year we shouid get 65,000 tons less"meat i'lorn overseas than in the same period of 1948. "11 we tried to maintain the present ration, even for a very short period, our stocks would almost im.ncdiateiy fall below the minimum le vel at which nation-wicle distribuiion can be maintained and if ihe ration is - to be honoured," added Dr. Summerskill. "The future oi the ration during the next year ,o.r sp.must inevitably depend on the oulcome of negotiations in progress wILli Argentina. "We have made it clear that, notwilhstanding the serious consequences oi a continued shori iall in tne Argentine supplies, we are nol prepared to pay unreasonabie prices, submit to unreasonable

eciiditions of sa.e or pay aollars." Grim Picture of Ration A buieher gave this picture of v/iiat 8d worth of carcase meat will wt.'an to the British housewife: — • "Nine ounces of stewing steak at l'id a lb. or one chump (leg) chop i.er book. "As ior joints, we shall have to cut them into two. Once more a 1 ci\ of lamb, which we already cut into two, will be soid in quarters and even then three or four books will be needed for one of the quarters. "Shoulders will have to be cut into three. That means the weekend joint will be. a long strip of meat like a thick rasher."