BUTTER RATIONING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1943, Page 6

BUTTER RATIONING

DEMANDS BY TIMBER WORKERS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) ROTORUA, November 11

In view of complaints made on the West Coast in regard to butter rationing, and the fact that trouble here among timber workers might result for the same reason, Mr W. Seator, National President of the New Zealand Timber Workers’ Union, was interviewed here. Mr Seator stated that the national secretary, Mr F. Craig, Auckland, had the matter in hand at Wellington al present. “There is no doubt,” said Mr Seator, “that the ration is totally inadequate for workers who have to lake their lunches to work.” He cited the case of a bush cookhouse whose normal consumption of 321 b. a week had been reduced to 81b. a week under the rationing scheme. “I can fully appreciate the complaints being made,” added Mr Seator. He explained that he had been in a position where he had to take his lunch to work for many years. “If a worker had to depend on the pre • sent ration for his lunches the halfpound allowed would last about three days. It would be dry bread for the remainder of the week.”

The timber Workers appreciated ’Lat sacrifices during these days were inevitable, concluded Mr Seator, but in their opinidn the present rationing of butter was too drastic. He felt that 11b. a week should be the absolute minimum to maintain physical fitness in such a heavy industry, where the men were called upon to work in the open in all types of weather. ■