ARGENTINA'S GIFT TO BRITAIN

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5283, 20 December 1946, Page 5

ARGENTINA'S GIFT TO BRITAIN

(Press Assn.

MEAT SHIPMENTS

CONSUMERS TO RECEIVE REBATE NEXT YEAR

— Rec. 9.80 p.m.)

LONDON, Dec. 19. The Minister of Food, Mr. J. Strachey, announced that" each British adult or child meat consumer would rec.eive on the first purchase of rationed meat in the week "beginning on January 12 a rebate of 5d from the butcher v. ith whom the consumer was ivgistered. This method was being adopted to give effeet to the offer to send a substantial gift of meat to the British people which Argentina made at the time of signing the AngloArgentine meat agreement early in 1946. Argentina's gift will not inei'ease the total meat supplies available, as the United Kingdom is already getting all possible supplies from that source. The efifect will be that substantial shipments will be supplied without cost. The meat involved will not arrive in time for Gbristmas, and in any case it is impracticable to distribute it so that each co-nsumer will receive a free portion. The rebate scheme 1 as therefore been adopted to meet Argentina's wishes that the gift should be a personal oue to every domestic consumer. The butchers will be reimbursed by the Government. The arrangements already announced for additional meat issues at Gbristmas will not be affected. The present ration is 16d wo-rth of meat. Mr. Strachey said the Argentine gift represented £870,000 and 15,000 tons of meat. He added that he had l.othing further to say 011 the wheat. j-ituation, but thei'e was no need for a cut in the bread ration yet.