POTATO SUPPLIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 August 1942, Page 5

POTATO SUPPLIES

NEED FOR CURTAILMENT APPEAL TO HOUSEHOLDERS. REDUCED RATION FOR ARMED FORCES. (J3v Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Measures to curtail the consumption o£ potatoes were announced last night by the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mrs Sullivan. The potato ration to the armed forces is to be reduced, and householders are urged to plant any table potatoes they might have for the production, of a crop in their kitchen gardens. The cooking of potatoes in their jackets is also suggested. “Since my previous announcement regarding the control of the sale and distribution of potatoes some 10 days ago. a complete survey has been made of the stocks held throughout Ihe Dominion,” said Mr Sullivan. “Unfortunately, this has revealed that the supply of potatoes is wholly inadequate to meet the demands of the armed forces and the civil population during the next three months, and accordingly drastic measures to curtail consumption are necessary.

"The only course therefore open to us to meet the situation is to apportion out the available supplies as equitably as possible between the Armed Forces and such essential services as public and private hospitals, old people’s homes, and so on. Under this arrangement, the ration to the Armed Forces will have to be cut very drastically, as it is only by this means that limited supplies can be made available to the civilian services mentioned.” said the Minister.