BUTTER RATIONING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1943, Page 2

BUTTER RATIONING

IN FORCE FROM TODAY EFFORT TO AUGMENT BRITISH SUPPLIES. ALLOWANCE OF EIGHT OUNCES A WEEK. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The introduction of butter rationing in New Zealand as from today, was announced last night by the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan. The ration will be eight ounces a week for each person. The consumption of cream is to be prohibited, except on medical grounds. The output of cheese for consumption within the Dominion is to be kept to the present level. Mr Sullivan said that there was at present a world food shortage, a shortage affecting the people of Great Britain, who had so resolutely stood up to seme of the most terrible ordeals of this war. For a long time all foodstuffs had been rationed in Britain, and the present weekly ration of fats was only 2oz. of butter, 4oz. of margarine or other edible fats, and 2oz. of cooking fats. The ration was little enough, but if further supplies could not be made available to Britain, it would not be possible to maintain the British people’s weekly 2oz. of butter at its present level. While still supplying American and cur own Service requirements in the South Pacific area, New Zealand must make every effort to provide the additional quantities needed by Britain. The Minister observed that the people of New Zealand were very heavy consumers of butter and that the reduction under rationing would be greater than in other Allied countries. “But,” he added, “we shall be very much better off than the people of Britain with their weekly ration of Goz. of edible fats, of which not more than 2oz. is butter. In Canada the ration has not exceeded Boz. per week. Tn Australia, the rate has been fixed at Bcz., and in New Zealand the rate will also be Boz. a week.

“This means sacrifice, but under the circumstances, it is a privilege, not a hardship,” the Minister continued. “Out of our plenty we are glad to provide this help for others who have endured so much hardship. The ration of Boz. a person a week is sufficient to maintain everyone in good health, The ration will, so far as reason and equity will allow, be the same to everyone. “The farmer is not excepted. Other than in special circumstances, he may not supply butter to anyone except a trader, and he may not use more butter in his own household than the ration scale of Boz. a week for each person,

“As a further means of conserving butterfat, the consumption of creajn is now banned. No person, whether he be dairy farmer, shopkeeper, or ordinary consumer, is permitted to use or consume cream. There is one exception —tEis applies to butter as well as cream—and Jhat is in respect of hospitals and like institutions, arid of individuals suffering from complaints which necessitate a heavy fat diet. Additional cream or butter will be authorised for supply to these people oil production of medical certificates.

“The output of cheese for consumption within the Dominion will be kept to the present level. We are not great cheese-eaters in New Zealand, btu everyone knows that cheese is rationed in Great Britain, and we cannot afford to have an increased consumption of cheese, which would result in smaller shipments going to Britain.” Giving some details of how butter rationing was to be operated, the Minister said that from now onward butter could be purchased only against coupons in the new ration book. “The first thing to do,” he said, “is to choose the grocer, dairy or other retailer with whom you wish to deal for your buttei supplies. Every ration book is to be registered with a retailer for butter in the same way as for sugar rationing. Each coupon will have a value of half a pound. If you require butter for the rest of this week you are to use the special coupon No. ‘Y’ 1 on sheet 11 of the new ration book. If you do not require butter this week, then do not use the *Y’ coupon. However, it cannot be used after the end of the week. . “Starting from next week, the A coupons on page 5 of the new ration book arc to be used for butter. Two coupons are to be used at a lime in each fortnight and they cannot be used after the fortnight has expired. In the first, fortnight, from November 1 W Novembcr 14. coupons to be used arc numbers ‘A’ 1 and ‘A’ 2, each coupon having a value of half a pound of butter or both coupons together haying the value of one pound of butter. Detailed instructions governing the supply of butter arc being issued to all wholesalers and retailers. In order to have the same coupon numbers for butter, tea and sugar, the rationing periods for tea and sugar aio reduced from a duration of one month to a duration of four weeks. Four coupons will be available for toil and sugar in each four-weekly period, commencing with coupon numbers 1 to 4 for the period from November 1 _to November 28. Four-weekly periods will also apply to manufacturing and collective consumers who will be placed on fixed quotas for their supplies in future.