WAR SHORTAGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 July 1942, Page 5

WAR SHORTAGES

RATIONING IN CANADA OIL FUEL & RUBBER PROBLEMS. INCREASING PRODUCTION OF MINERALS. OTTAWA, June 16. By the end of this month the Canadian housewife will have sugar rationed by coupon at eight ounces a head weekly. This ration now applies by coupon both in the United States and the United Kingdom. Canada already has had six months’ experience of sugar rationing by the honour system, first at twelve, then at eight ounces weekly. WJiile under the honour system no coupons were required, heavy penalties were provided and in a number of cases imposed, for hoarding; Coupon rationing for petrol has been applicable since the beginning of April, but sugar will be Canada’s first experience of food, rationing by coupon. Tea and coffee are now rationed in

Canada on the honour system but coupon rationing of these also is not unlikely. All these restrictions hark back to the shipping shortage, and it is a shortage that is striking with increasing severity at the Canadian home. In recent years, thousands of Canadian homes had their heating systems converted from coal to oil. Oil tankers sunk by Axis submarines off the Atlantic coast brought about a shortage of fuel oil in Canada. This means that if available supplies are to be conserved for essential war industries large numbers of householders will have to reconvert their heating systems back to coal, with coal rationing possible. ' Alan Williamson, Supplies Controller, predicts that as a result of shortages of petrol and rubber, 150,000 Canadian passenger automobiles will be off the road by next June. Addressing the Canadian Transit Association, Toronto, Mr Williamson foresaw that a year- hence:— (1) The oil shortage might be so serious that pleasure travel would be a thing of the past and all our ideas of essential transit outmoded. , (2) Some railway rolling stock at in.,;.' wnulH ha Hnqprvineable.

(3) The rubber shortage would be so acute that tire repairs might be placed on a priority basis. Rubber alone, Mr Williamson added, constitutes one of the gravest and most ominous problems in Canada s history. The Department of Munitions and Supply estimates today that a saving of over six million miles will result from the curtailment of non-essen-tial bus services now being affected. On the credit side, Canada has made considerable progress in the direction of attaining self-sufficiency in strategic minerals. Mercury and antimony have been added to the list. Canada shortly will be producing its entire requirements of high grade magnesium refractories. The production of magnesium metal will begin within the next few months. Sources of supply of this metal are fairly abundant in Canada. Increases can also be expected, states the Mines Department, on the production of ores of tungsten, chromite and manganese. So far in this war Canada has produced metals and minerals to a total value of over 1,500,000,000 dollais from, deposits within, the country. This does not include the value of aluminium production, for which the ore is imported. Canada this year will pioduce minerals to a value probably well in excess of 600,000,000 dollars.