FOODSTUFF SUPPLIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 May 1940, Page 9

FOODSTUFF SUPPLIES

NEW ZEALAND’S PART

MUST PRODUCE TO LIMIT STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The importance of New Zealand increasing its output of primary produce to the limits of its capacity was stressed yesterday by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. The Minister of Marketing, he said, had already given a definite assurances that whatever was produced would be paid for. That would be the Government’s responsibility, and it was a responsibility which the Government willingly accepted. “There still appears to be some misconception regarding the extent to which New Zealand is fulfilling her undertaking to make available to Britain the maximum possible supplies of foodstuffs,” said the Prime Minister. This misconception is evidenced particularly in the suggestions which continue to be made for rationing the | consumption of butter and cheese | within the Dominion in order that in-j creased quantities might be available i for the needs of the United Kingdom. Though I have no doubt that such proposals are very 7/611 intentioned, they overlook the fact which Mr Nash emphasised in his recent broadcast address, that the United Kingdom has so far agreed to take only a stipulated quantity of produce. “In the case of butter, the United Kingdom has undertaken to buy, this season, 115,000 tons. The actual quantity which on present production figures New Zealand can make available this season for shipment to Britain will be epproximately 125,000 tons. That is to say, without any restriction of local consumption this season will result in a surplus of 10.000 tons over and above the United Kingdom’s stipulated requirements.

“A similar position exists in regard to cheese. The British Government has given an undertaking, however, to buy from us within the limits of its requirements, additional quantities which New Zealand might have available for export, subject to shipping space being available. The Government is hopeful that satisfactory arrangements for shipping the surplus over and above the contract figure will be completed. “It will be appreciated that the preferential position which margarine at present enoys in the British market on account of its relative cheapness and the fact that butter is severely rationed, necessarily limits the total quantity of butter we can expect to ship, however willing we may be to make increasing quantities available. "It will be' clear, therefore, that restriction of supplies for the local market can serve no useful purpose and might, indeed, by imposing additional demands on existing cool-storage and shipping facilities have the very opposite effect. Britain must, after all. be the final judge as to how her war effort will best be assisted. “At the same time,” added Mr Fraser, “even though it has not been possible up to the present for the New Zealand Government to make arrangements with the Government of the United Kingdom for the purchase of all we can produce, it is nevertheless of the utmost importance that our production be sustained to the maximum. We do not know how the situation may alter in the future, and we would be manifestly failing in our duty to the Mother Country and our Allies if we did not maintain and increase our output of butter and cheese and other primary produce to the limit of our capacity.”