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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 10, No. 1. February 28, 1947

London Letter . .

London Letter . . .

The food situation here is not nearly as black as one would imagine from reading the newspapers. The job of a newspaper is to sell news to the public and a critical appraisal of the whole situation is not news; it is anything out of the ordinary which appeals to the imagination of the reader. We get the truth (usually) but not the whole truth. Shortages, failures, mistakes, crimes are news; sufficiency, successes, correct decisions, honesty are taken for granted.

* * *

In fact we are not starving. We get enough of everything to feel satisfied, if not bloated. The rations are sufficient to maintain us all in health; probably there are people healthier now than ever before, having had to renounce gluttony; many millions for the first time are getting enough to eat. The chief difficulty is in the lack of variety. One cannot have what one wants when one wants it. One must make do with what is available. Take meat for example. You can't say to yourself as you're walking down the street: "I'll have a chop for tea tonight;" that would use up your whole week's meat ration. But you could have rather crumby sausages, or fish, or a tin of meat and vegetable stew, any of which would supply the nourishment you needed, and at a comparable price. The diet is much more fish and vegetables than the "meat-three-times-a-day" N.Zer. is used to. Shortage of cooking fats, also, lessens the variety of treatment, frying, boiling, roasting, baking, etc.

* * *

This monotony is balanced to a certain extent by a wide selection of delicacies and titbits. Salmon and sardines, dried fruits, different jams and cheeses, can be had at reasonable prices and with not-too great a sacrificing of rationing points. If you can pay you can get poultry, grapes, pineapples, marron glaces, etc. To make full use of these extras involves care on the part of the housewife, both with her budget and her coupons. She must decide whether to buy first, second, or third grade salmon, dried eggs or sardines, bread or cake according to her taste and pocket. If she is intelligent about it, she can prepare meals that will compare favourably with those at Weir House, say, that is adequate if not especially inspiring.

* * *

Finally, one can feed in restaurants, hotels, and canteens, without sacrifice of coupons. In London, Lyons "Corner Houses" provide a three-course meal for two or three shillings for as good as can be got in Wellington at the same prices. British Restaurants, Government subsidised, give cheaper meals with more meat. All schools and most factories have canteens providing a hot mid-day meal, also with more meat. One can understand be people who have live under these conditions for seven years should rather tired of it. They certainly deserve all the food that, can be sent them. But for myself, coming from a land of comparative plenty, I am not in the least worried by the prospects at least for a few years.

Sinbad.