BULK SUPPLIES OF FOODSTUFFS

Southland Times, Issue 24824, 17 August 1942, Page 4

BULK SUPPLIES OF FOODSTUFFS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 15. The Minister of Civil Defence, the Hon. W. A. Bodkin, remarked today that through the Ministry of Supply the Food Controller had established bulk supplies of foodstuffs at a number of places throughout the Dominion and these would be available in an emergency for the immediate needs of areas affected, directly or indirectly, by enemy action. In an ordinary emergency a “business as usual” practice would be followed, but in a serious or extreme emergency distribution might have to be taken over by the E.P.S., to which necessary supplies would be made available by the Food Controller.

One important advantage of having those supplies under Government control was that their dispositions had been arranged to permit supplies to be converged on an affected area from several points if necessary. In an actual emergency the controller of a supply committee of the E.P.S. could be empowered to requisition retail supplies of goods required by the E.P.S. for victualling E.P.S. workers or for meeting the needs of a local community. It would also be competent for such controller to control shops and ration supplies and to requisition buildings for E.P.S. purposes. Mr Bodkin further commented: “While everything practicable is being done to assure supplies of food and other needs for emergencies, it is very important for people to act on the principle of self-help from their own resources within reasonable bounds.”