Tons of Hams

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 179, 19 October 1927, Page 9

Tons of Hams

REFRESHMENT BRANCH OF RAILWAYS FINDS THAT PASSENGERS ARE HUNGRY FOLK FOOD MOUNTAINS Passengers on trains in New Zealand last year ate 38 tons of ham. This mountain of meat was portioned out among approximately 1,750,000 people. Travellers must eat, and from the figures available train travellers must be a consistently hungry lot. But railway refreshments extend beyond the customary ham sandwich and cup of tea. The amount of food used by the refreshment branch of the Railway Department is dealt with in tons, and the quantity is growing each year. An instance of how this department of the railways has grown is shown by the fact that at the end of the first year (1918-1919), when the department took over the control of the refreshment branch, the gross revenue was £49,700. This year the gross revenue was £129,611. To provide this revenue thousands of pounds weight of food were sold. Here are the amounts of some of the commodities most in demand: Tea: 30.0001 b. Sugar: 95,0001 b. Potatoes: 240,0001 b. Butter: SO,ooolb. Bread: 250,0001 b. (think of it in sandvv iehes). Ham: 53,0001 b. Meat (other than ham): 160,0001 b. Cigarettes: 300,000 packets. Chocolates: £5,250 worth. In addition to these commodities several tons of fruit are sold each year, thousands of dozens of eggs are used and thousands of gallons of milk. In 1917, when the Railway Department first began to control the refreshment rooms throughout New Zealand, there were only eight of them in both islands, with a total staff of 122. Travellers of those days will remember the none too up-to-date meals which were provided. To-day there are 26 railway refreshment rooms throughout the Dominion, employing a total staff of 368. At the principal stations hot meals are provided—Frankton Junction and Mar ton are the two big eating establishments on the Main Trunk line, but at every other large station there are stalls for the sale of sandwiches, buns, apples, cakes, etc., without a frequent supply of which no journey is complete.

The refreshment branch purchases all foodstuffs through the Stores Control Board for the Government Departments, and in addition to its other activities attends to the staffing of the sleeping cars on the Main Trunk line and the special ladies’ cars. It also does the catering for Vice-Regal and Ministerial cars, and for any distinguished visitors from overseas.