ABOLITION OF RATIONING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26632, 1 December 1947, Page 4

ABOLITION OF RATIONING

NO LONGER NECESSARY

IMPROVED OUTLOOK FOR NEXT YEAR The rationing of clothing in the Dominion will be discontinued as from to-day. This was announced in Oamaru on Saturday by the Minister of Supply, Mr Nordmeyer. Consideration of the forward clothing position indicated that the prospects for 1948 were reasonably good, the Minister said, and in the circumstances it was felt that no good purpose would be served by continuing the rationing system. This was particularly so in viewf of the fact that the basis of clothing rationing in New Zealand had always been on a very generous scale, and there were many persons who did not find it necessary to use the coupons to which they were entitled. “ I desire to make it clear,” said the Minister, “ that the mere fact of rationing being abandoned does not mean that increased or unlimited supplies of clothing will be available. It does mean, however, that the Government feels that the administrative work involved in maintaining the clothes rationing system is no longer warranted. “In making this announcement I should like to express my appreciation of the manner in which the clothing trade, both wholesale and retail, has co-operated with the in the administration of this difficult, and, at times, irritating restriction,” the Minister added. ‘‘The public generally have been patient and reasonable in observing rationing, and I am sure that both the trade and the public will welcome the fact that it has been found possible to abandon rationing so far as clothing is concerned.”