The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-04
General Food RatiOning Seen As Impractical For Canada
WIDESPREAD HABIT OF DIRECT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS sEiI ING WOULD MAKE REAL ENFORCEMENT DIFFICULT
BY s. BURTON HEATH NEA Service stan Correspondent

NEA Service Stan Correspondent
 Ottawa. Dec. 4-The people of Canada are wondering about butter and meat rationing, but the Foods Administration has no such ideas 1t is doubtful whether the Dominion will attempt to ration any agricul- tural commodities.
 The reason for Canadian reluc- tance Co ration foodstuffs is admin tSrative. and it arises from the fact that the Dominion is preponderantly agricultural.
 successful rationing requires the existence of bottlenecks - fixed points through which a commodity must paSs So that it can be con trolled. In a country where most people can buy direct from produc- CTS. enforcement would require literal armies of agents, if indeed, it could be made to work at all. TEA Is RATIONED
 At present the only item rationed in Canada and not in the United States Is tea. The only item ra- toned in the United States and not in Canada is fuel oil.
 Tea is rationed in Canada because Canadians drink much more ot that beverage than do Americans. Fuel oil is not rationed because only sinele-family houses are permitted to burn oil at all. Apartment build ines. factories. stores, office and loft buildings were required 10 convert to coal or go heatleSS.
 Canadian non-essential motorists get three gallons of gasoline a week, like Americans do now. The indl- vidual sugar allowance Is a hat hound s week, like the Americans
 The beverage allowance. for per sons over f2 years, is either one ounce Of tea or four ounces of col fee a week. Restaurants, hotels end other eating places limit pa- irons to a single cup of beverage and dole out the sugar in Canada just as they do in the United States. PERMITS CONTROL BUYING
 One restriction up here has no counterpart south of the border. Electric ranges mechanical refriger- ators. railroad watches, farm ma cllinery. can be bought only with a permit. They are not rationed. but they are closely controlled.
 Sugar rationing has been In et- feet since June, tea and coffee since the first of August.
 There is no rationing of spices, even to the stores. Cocoa products are rationed to dealers, on the basis of 70 per cent of 1941 use, but not to consumers.
 New buildings can be constructed, if one Is able to get materials ana men. up to $25O0 in value. Altera- tions, either business or residential, are limited to . maximum expendi- tzIre of $500. In either case. per- u,its to exceed the limitation can be obtained if one can make c con- vincing enough case of war need.
 In the stores, exchanges and re- funds are forbidden after 12 days unless the article purchased proves defective, except in the case of some furnishings costing at least $l0.
 Except by special permit. very dif5cult to obtain, no new busl- ness can be started: no new lines of commodity can be stocked for sale; no new branches can be open ed; the floor space used must not be increased.
 These regulations, which became effective November 3, are designed both to protect existing businesses already hard hit by war regulations and also to minimize diversion of materials and manpower from war industry.
 So far as experts can see, nc substantial extensions of either ra- tioning or business restrictions are in prospect.