Sugar: All The Way From Britain

Chronicle (Levin), 20 October 1949, Page 5

Sugar: All The Way From Britain

Press Association )

(Per

WELLINGTON, Oct. 19. Because local shipping' can't do the job, sugar ha# been brought i'rom Britain (where it is strictly rationed) to New Zealand to help South Island housewives lay in supplies for the eorning jam season. That is one of the reasons given for the presence at Aotea Quay wharf of a cargo ..of 500 tons of sugar — the first instalment of 10,000 tons that are to be imporfed from Britain. It seems that the other reapon for the importation of this large quantity from a sugar-hungry country is that the local refining capacity has not been able to d»pe with the Dominion's requirements. Once the accumulated demand has been overtaken, the position is expected to right itself. Shipping of sugar from Auckland has long been a matter of some difficulty because of the shortage of shipping space, and most places out of Auckland have at some time or another had to put up with temporary shortages. Now, because local shipping is not available to carry the sugar 675 miles from Auckland to Lytelton, other ships have to bring it the long way round — 13,000 miles from Britain. A small portion of the present shipment, it is learned, is for distribution in Wellington, where it will be allocated among the mercliants, but the bulk of it is lieading south.