SUGAR PROBLEM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1942, Page 6

SUGAR PROBLEM

RATIONING SCHEME COUPON BOOKS NEXT WEEK. EXPLANATION BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Arrangements for the rationing of sugar were announced in statements issued yesterday by the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, and by the Food Controller, Mr J. E. Thomas. The Minister said the scheme was elastic in nature and designed to cover any number of commodities which might be in short supply. The ration books, which would form the basis of the scheme, would be available at all money-order offices during specified hours and at special issuing points in the cities and larger towns as from April 13. The Minister said he was most concerned that in spite of the fact that adequate supplies of sugar were coming forward regularly from the refineries many people were still having difficulty in securing reasonable supplies for themselves and their families. The introduction of rationing under the coupon system meant that every man, woman and child in the community would receive his or her fair share of available supplies, but the scheme was designed to make it as easy as possible to secure supplies and at the same time prevent abuses which, if they were allowed to prevail, would eventually react to the detriment of the whole community. Referring to the hours of attendance for the collection of ration books, Mr Sullivan said that these and the situation of the special issuing points would be advertised in the main daily papers for the districts concerned. The Post Office officials would be greatly assisted if the public made themselves familiar with the details of the scheme and watched carefully for the official announcements which would be made from time to time through the newspapers.