AID FOR BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26630, 28 November 1947, Page 4

AID FOR BRITAIN

Otago Committee’s Strong Dissatisfaction •

VISIT BY MR F. P. WALSH

The chairman of the National Council of the “Aid for Britain ” campaign, Mr F. P. Walsh, is to visit Dunedin to discuss the operation of the scheme with the Otago committee. The request that Mr Walsh should meet members of the local committee arose out of criticism of the operation of the campaign expressed at a mid-day meeting of the committee yesterday at which strong dissatisfaction with the granting of extra Christmas rations was expressed.

The meeting was adjourned until the late afternoon to enable the chairman, Mr R. C. Burgess, to communicate with Mr Walsh. On the resumption, the chairman announced that Mr Walsh had been “most helpful and co-operative ” and had agreed to come to Dunedin for a discussion with the committee.

It is expected that the meeting will be held on the evening of December 9.

“Even if the extra quantity of foodstuffs is not large, the principle is a bad one, and I feel that we have to be frank and thorough in our discussions because we are challenged in everything we do,” said Mr Burgess at the 1 opening of the meeting of the Otago Committee yesterday. He condemned the action of the Government in making available an extra ration of lamb and butter for Christmas. Mr Burgess said he'had already expressed his own views and it was now for the committee as a whole to consider the position and give its opinions publicly if it were prepared to do so. It was no use the committ.ee doing all it could in the campaign to aid Britain if they were going to pander to themselves in this way. “I do not like the situation at all because it is undermining the whole of our activities,” he said, “ and we have to be satisfied about it or the committee may possibly have to go out of action.” “We recognise that what has been done has been the practice for a number of years in connection with the issuing of extra coupons for the Christmas period,” Mr W. R. Clarke said, “but the people are not compelled to use the coupons. It will test whether the people are sincere in their efforts to save coupons." Dollar Goods Mr Clarke said it was all right for those on one side to say that the people should not use the extra rations, but the country also had a duty to conserve dollar goods. Me mentioned that 88,000 tons of cargo would be loaded in the United States and Canada before the end of the year and brought to New Zealand in 11 ships which apparently could be obtained at a moment’s notice in spite of the effort that was being made to conserve funds. “ People are rushing these goods,” said Mr Clarke, “because they know there will be a shortage of commodities from Canada and , the United States.” When goods were required for commercial purposes, no consideration seemed to be given to the dollar position at all. Most of the goods, he contended, could be done without for the next two or three yeari.

seat on the committee would become vacant. The Otago Trades Council would not agree to it. The chairman said it should be kept ill mind that the extra ration was being allowed for the Christmas period. The action cut completely across anything the committee was trying to do. He added that if the committee could not be satisfied about the matter, it should report back to the Mayor, give its opinions, and ask that they should be endorsed. Mr Tomkins said he thought it was premature “to take the bit in their teeth.” They should try to put the committee on to a workable basis. “ Our function is wider than the saving of foodstuffs,” Mr Clarke said. “ We are more concerned in the conservation of dollar funds.” He added that if they were to tell the Government they should stop the extra ration issue, they should ask it to ensure that lamb was not made available for Christmas and that it was sent to Britain. They should also ask for an inquiry regarding the last-minute rush of goods from Canada and the United States to the Dominion. They should inquire how much of the 88,000 tons of cargo was urgently required. He submitted that two ships would carry all the goods required, and the other nine could be diverted to Australia to load wheat. Mr Tomkins said the fault lay entirely with those who issued the licences. Mr Tomkins’s suggestion that the Government should be asked to withdraw tbe extra ration was defeated on the vote of the chairman and, after further discussion, Mr Stephens withdrew his motion in favour of one moved by Mr Frude that, because of the committee's dissatisfaction with the general position, it desired representatives of the national council to attend a meeting of the committee. The meeting was adjourned until 5.15 p.m. to enable the chairman to communicate with Mr Walsh to ascertain the possibility of representatives visiting Dunedin. The subsequent meeting was brief and ended without further comment when the chairman announced the outcome of his telephone conversation with Mr Walsh.

“Take a look along Crawford street to-day, and you will find that 75 to 80 per cent, of the motor cars parked there are used to bring their owners to town when they could easily travel in the trams,” Mr Clarke declared. “Hundreds of cars are out on Sunday afternoons. Is that playing the game? Is that assisting the committee? If things are going to continue like that,’l for one will not sit on the committee. I will work my own way.” Mr E. Skinner said that if a definite lead were given to the people it should be given by the Government, but he felt that it had not been given. Mrs W. K. Cameron said that members of the National Council of Women, with whom she had discussed the subject, felt strongly that the position should not have been created. One view expressed, however, was that if ships were not available to export butter to Britain, there was no reason why it should not be used here, but evidently from what Mr Clarke had said, there were ships available, and the butter should be exported. Extra Supplies Unnecessary “ None of us can say we are hungry, and I cannot see the necessity for granting extra supplies,” said Mr P. Rees. “I am strongly opposed to the idea. It is against what we are trying to do. No one has been hungry, yet and no one will be.” “We all feel that we are either part and parcel .of a genuine effort, supported by everybody, or we are not,” Mr Burgess said. Mr T. G. Tomkins said he did not think they should set one wrong against another. The two issues raised by Mr Clarke should not be confused. Mr A. C. Stephens said that the announcement of the extra ration might be one of those things which had slipped through without proper consideration. He was prepared to believe it had, and that it was considered only a routine matter. The only thing the committee could do was to express its disapproval and urge the people not to use their coupons. Rightminded people in the community would respond, but nothing could be done with the selfish ones who were using their coupons and using petrol. “We should not say we are not going to save fat because people are using their cars on Sunday,” he added. “ I would not be prepared to withdraw from the committee because people are using their cars on Sunday” Committee Helpless

“The time has come when the committee must tell the people something,” said Mr L. J. Frude. “In the eyes of the people, for whom we are acting, we are looking a bit foolish and inefficient.” Mr Frude said the committee would have to decide whether it was worthwhile to go on without being told what was being done. They were just a “lot of hacks and mugs,” and all that they were doing was to Rounder around. “ I do not think people will save their coupons,” Mr Frude said, “ but if we could stop the butchers from getting lamb we might get somewhere.”

No sooner had the committee appealed to people to save coupons than the ground was cut from under its feet by some one who told the people they could have more coupons, Mr Frude added. The coupon system was ridiculous. What was being done to stop people from using their cars on Sunday? Mr Clarke: Nothing! Mr Frude said that people would not stop using their cars over Christmas. He was not prepared to put in hours of work if they could not see themselves getting anywhere. In many similar efforts, Otago had led the way, and if the people were given a lead he was sure Otago would do so again. Mr Stephens moved: “That the committee deplores the decision made by the Government that

further butter and meat should be made available at Christmas as it definitely undermines the campaign for aid for Britain, and urges the public of New Zealand not to use the extra coupons.” This motion was seconded by Mr Frude, but Mr Tomkins suggested that, instead of an appeal to the public the Government should be asked to withdraw the extra ration.

Mr L. F. Evans said that the people who were suffering from butter rationing were those who had to take their lunches and their morning and afternoon tea to work and could not get substitutes. They comprised practically all the factory workers in heavy industries. He added that the committee should state that any butter conserved would be shipped to Britain only, and not to Shanghai, Hongkong and other places. If the suggestion to ask the Government to withdraw the extra ration were proceeded with, his