LAST OF THE RATION BOOKS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 151, 21 March 1919, Page 5

LAST OF THE RATION BOOKS

SPEECH BY B"RI'PISH CONTROLLER.

"I have had tlie pleasure to-day," said Mr. Clyncs, the retiring Food Controller, at a dinner in his honour recently, "to preside over a council of the Food Ministry, when it was decided to discontinue the printing of ration hooks. We Kopo the present will he your la6t ration book." (Applause.) Mr. Clynes said that the country had no idea of the value and extent of the services which had been rendered by scores of nameless men and women in the Ministry under his control. It bad been said that the first Food Controller would bo obliged to icsign, tho second would be worked to death, and tho third would he hanged on a lamp post. (Laughter.) "Sou, ladies and gentlomen," lie said, "as men and women who have devised the scheme!: and overcome the .difficulties, hovo saved me from that fate.'' (Laughter.) The work of the Ministry, ho added, had been no small fr.elor in hastening (lie end of the war in tho way thcv desired. The working of tlie "Pood Council acting for the Allied nations afforded a remarkable proof of what unity of 'action could secure when nations as well as men co-operated for a common purpose. As to the future, 1.0 did not want to commit any successor lo a policy of which he might nc4 approve, but there were some aspects of tlie work of the Food Ministry that might well be continued as permanent features in connection with our fond supplies. But any sudden and wholesale uplifting of .the regulations and orders might drivo them back again to queues.