DOMINION’S GIFTS
FOOD FOR BRITAIN WORK OF DISTRIBUTION CENTRE N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 9. Since the Ministry of Food’s Overseas Gift Centre, which handles the distribution of all food parcels ' other than personally directed gifts, was established in the middle of 1946, it has received and distributed 28,796 cases of food from New Zealand. In addition 4830 cases are in store
awaiting distribution and a further 3336 cases are in transit. As each case contains approximately 561bs of food this represents over 920 tons of food gifts from the Dominion. The total quantity of bulk gift food handled by the Overseas Gifts Centre since it was established is 800,000 cases.
By arrangement with the authorities in the Dominions and Colonies the Gifts Centre allocates 30 per cent, of each consignment to hospitals and charitable institutions where it is allotted to sick and needy people, and the remaining 70 per cent, is sent to local authorities all over the United Kingdom to distribute according to needs in individual districts. The Ministry of Food considers that local welfare organisations are in the best position to decide the recipients. In all cases in which the donors express the desire that the food should go to specified areas every effort is made to carry out their wishes. Discussing the working of the centre with the New Zealand Press Association an official of the Ministry of Food said that so far bulk figures from New Zealand had come from individual donors, churches, schools, and various local organisations. This method was necessarily less economical than a supply of food through a national organisation such as had been established in some of the other Dominions. Nevertheless, it had advantages such as the maintenance of a somewhat more intimate and personal touch between the donor and the recipient. “ These comments are not in any critical spirit,” he said. “We are deeply indebted to the people of New Zealand and do not for a moment question their choice of method in sending food to this country. But it does remain true that a. national organisation might send food more economically and that from the point of view of this centre this might give us a freer hand in distribution.”
Losses of food through bad packing, damage or pillage are small, according to the Ministry. What trouble had been experienced through bad packing was usually due to the unavoidable use of second-hand crates.
In general a preference was expressed for small parcels of between seven and nine pounds in weight as these were more easily and equitably distributed than larger packages.
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Otago Daily Times, Issue 26640, 10 December 1947, Page 5
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435DOMINION’S GIFTS Otago Daily Times, Issue 26640, 10 December 1947, Page 5
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