Six Matches a Day

Levin Daily Chronicle, 31 January 1918, Page 4

Six Matches a Day

A recent statement by the Board of Trade shows that there was a great shortage of matches in Britain. In 1915, the consumption of matches in the United Kingdom was approximately 3,000,000,000 boxes, about half of which were of British manufacture, the remainder being imported from foreign . countries. After the prohibition of im--1 ported matches and the exhaustion of stocks of foreign matches there remained somewhat less than half the normal amount available. Consequently, a shortage of matches occurred, which was rapidly becoming acute when the Board of Trade undertook control. After preliminary enquiries by the Tobacco and Matchcs Control Board it was decided to pool the output of all factories and to distribute it in proportion to the 1015 supplies. This system was set up and came into operation on October 15, 1917. Stocks which had been practically depleted are being gradually built up again and when sufficient have been accumulated to ensure a regular and equitable distribution it is estimated that all wholesalers and retailers will be able to obtain a fair proportion of their normal pre-war requirements. The deliveries for the week ended November 27 wore 32 million boxes. This would provide six to seven matches a day for every adult. As, therefore, no material expansion of the present output can be looked for in existing conditions it is the duty of every citizen the statement adds, to confine his present consumption to an average of six matches a day, which, with careful economy, ought to suffice for all reasonable needs during the present emergency.