INCREASED RATIONING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1943, Page 2

INCREASED RATIONING

IN THE NEAR FUTURE. STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N„ April 18. An intimation of increased rationing within New Zealand in the near future, together with much expanded hospital building to meet the requirements of sick and wounded servicemen, was given by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, when opening the newly-com-pleted block at the Palmerston North Hospital yesterday. When confronted by military demands in regard to stores and magazines, etc., he had wondered whether they could possibly be met. The nation’s whole building capacity had been called on, with the result that there were hardly any carpenters’ shops, even in the smaller towns, which were not organised to meet the demand. Recently, storage requirements for 15,000 men for four months were needed urgently, and this was in addition to such needs for our own forces. The best building organisation had ■ been harnessed, and the colossal magnitude of the work completed could be gauged from the fact that last year the value of buildings erected for the services, including the Americans, exceeded £14,000,000, while the previous year was almost the same amount. Briefly referring to the war in the Pacific, Mr Fraser mentioned General MacArthur’s appeal for further aid, and added that much of this must be provided by Australia and New Zealand, so fax’ as supplies were concerned, and thus the people would be asked to undergo a greater degree of rationing than heretofore.