OVERSEAS NEWS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 284, 29 August 1942, Page 9

OVERSEAS NEWS

Britain’s Lean Rations

A very detailed report upon the .rations now available to the people of Britain, together with an account of how these had been gradually curtailed since a “gentle beginning.” early’ in 1940. is furnished by the chief executive officer in London of the Australian Meat Board. Has New Zealand no such officer now engaged in London? Meat in particular must be missed, for the latest ordinance restricts this supply to 1/- worth weekly a person. Additional thereto is a quarter lb. of bacon. The original meat ration was at the rate of 1/10, and on one occasion it was as high as 2/2. At the prices payable at Home, 1/- worth of meat would not represent more than lib. on average: and considerably less for quality meats. The fats .ration is only Soz. weekly (6oz. of butter and margarine, of which not more than 2oz. may be butter and 2oz. of cooking fat). The cheese ration to the general public isl oz. weekly. A piece ‘little more than , the size of half an egg. Altogether 100 foods are now covered by the Food Ministry’s orders. For the year ended March 31 last, the cost,of maintaining food prices had amounted to £63,000,000. “In fact, practically the only principal foods now remaining unrationed are bread, flour, oatmeal and potatoes of the carbohydrates, fresh vegetables and fruit (except oranges).” . American Wool Conservation,

Burly this, year America put into operation a wool conservation programme, restricting the use of new wool for the first quarter of the year to 80 per-cent, of the previous year's level. As large military requirements are to be mot iu full, tlie restrictions are likely to bear heavily upon civilian needs. In general, manufacture for civilian purposes is cut 50 per cent., and for some classes by 60 per cent. During 1941 America’s wool consumption amounted to 506.000.000 scoured pounds of apparel wools. That would equal close. Upon. 2J million bales. Production of .rayon and staple fibre in America during 19-11 greatly exceeded all previous records. Total production amounted to 572.230,0001 b. (rayon filar ment. yarn plus staple fibre) ; an increase of 22 per cent, upon 1940. Sonic SO per cent, of this 1941 output was of rayon (artificial silk) and of staple fibre, was the balance of 20 per cent.; this up 50 per cent, on the.nrevious year (artificial wool belongs to this category). Australian Kam Sales. “Excellent clearances were made ... it was a satisfactory opening aud there was a good general demand ... a large attendance of buyers. . .” Such terms were iu the reports of the annual Melbourne Stud sheep sales which opened on July 29. One auctioneer’s report stated that though high prices were not evident there was a good general demand throughout for all classes of rams and "the clearance at auction was the best tor some years.” Another report states an almost total clearance was effected by auction at prices “equal to and in some cases better than those of last year.” A top price of 245gns. was paid for a three-year-old, fine-wool merino rain, with quite a number making lOOgns. and qver. Substitute Paeliing. A latest issue of the farming journal “Stock and I.and” gives a photograph of a method of packing wool evolved in Australia to do without wool packs. One is of a bale which is wired ; with what appears to be a sack placed at top and bottom. The other is of a bale doubl,duinped and held by steel dumping bands, with some hessian fop and I ottoni and on two sides, and also two battens down each of the two covered sides within the bands. In both cases there would be opportunity for the wool to become dirty if the storage or shipping places were not dean, but in view of the scouring process to be eventually undergone it does not seem that this would be of serious moment.. The same journal carries an account of experiments conducted m Britain with fibre board boxes for export butter. It is stated that Australia has purchased 1000 of these boxes which recently arrived from Home, and that a shipment of export butter will be made in them as a practical test. It is considered that their use will save about ±1 a ton on tlie butter packed. On Australia’s total average export this would amount to. £BO,OOO a year.

Australian Tallow I nee. As from July 20. Australia has fixed £27/10/- as a maximum price tor tallow at Melbourne, that is for a ton of prime quality, other grades to be sold at standard proportionate value.