BLACK MARKET

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32414, 31 March 1944, Page 3

BLACK MARKET

POSITION AT THAMES PORK USED IN HOTEL LOCAL COMMITTEE PLANNED Urging the expedition of the setting up of a local food rationing committee, details of which were before the Thames Chamber of Commerce recently, and one of the functions of which will be to deal with black marketing, Mr H. G. Murray alleged there was black marketing of meat in Thames. Pork appeared on the menu of a local hotel three times a week, Mr Murray said. This matter had been referred to the Department of Agriculture but it had refused to take it up. The sooner the local committee met, he said, the better it would be for the good of the town. One hotel in Thames had booked 65 guests for Easter, said Mr Murray, turning to another matter in which he considered the early appointment of the food rationing control committee would be desirable. Efforts to get meat for them had not met with success. It was said that the hotel would have to supply these visitors with unrationed goods, but how would this be possible when there were not enough unrationed goods for the people of Thames? Functions of Committee A rationing officer had visited Thames yesterday, explained the secretary of the chamber, Mr H. T. Gallop, and had approached him with the suggestion that the chamber appoint a representative and a deputy to the local rationing control committee about to be formed, among the functions of which would be to assist the rationing officer, approve or otherwise of the issue of extra rationed goods for individuals, review the supply of rations to businesses every quarter with a view to increasing or reducing them, advise the rationing officer on the production of rationed commodities from which problems might arise, such as dairy butter, and to endeavour to check black marketing.

With the chamber’s representative the committee will comprise a representative each of master butchers, master grocers, restaurant-keepers, hotelkeepers, and a number of the union of grocery trade assistants, with consumers’ representatives consisting of a member of the local women’s instute and a man and a woman appointed by labour organisations. The local rationing officer will be chairman. Bowlers’ Difficulties Mr Gallop said he supported the move. He was president of the Bowling Club, which had arranged a tournament which would have 90' visitors in Thames over three days at Easter. In the past, morning and afternoon teas had been provided for these visitors, but when he had gone to the local rationing officer about this he had been told that not an ounce of butter, sugar or tea would be available for this purpose at Easter this year.

Yet tournaments had been held at Rotorua,. Tauranga and Helensville, all bigger than the Thames tournament and morning and afternoon tea had been provided visitors. When Mr Gallop had inquired from the secretaries how this was done they had told him, through the local rationing office. If it was legal in one place it should be legal in another. There was talk about the prevention of black marketing, but what did such things do but drive persons to the black market ? Regulations Clear The local rationing officer, Mr W. A. Sawyer, who is a member of the chamber, said he believed the regulations were read to Mr Gallop when he visited the ration office. These stated plainly that his request could not be granted. Mr Gallop admitted that that was the case. “Then the rationing controllers elsewhere have been falling down on the job,” said Mr Sawyer. After his visit to the rationing officer about the meat, the hotelkeeper had told him he would have to cancel the reservations for his Easter guests, said Mr Murray. Was that to the good of the town? If this local committee was expedited, satisfaction might be obtained. The chairman, Mr B. D. S. Chapman, said he had a good' deal of sympathy with those administering the regulations. The position of oil and food controller was not a happy one to be in. Mr Gallop was appointed the chamber’s representative on the con-

trol committee, with Mr Murray his deputy. Mr Sawyer said the body would function on the lines of the tyre and fuel committee, and once things had ! settled down there should not be so I very much work for it to do.