The Akaroa Mail TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1939. THE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXIII, Issue 6498, 10 January 1939, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1939. THE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS

as tlie Governinent have declared tlie Import liestrietions Act to be to save our credit in London tiie imposition of tiie new measure may Jbtave different results from those anticipated. Looking at the matter from a non-party and unbiassed point o± view it is evident that the Government made a great mistake in closing down so rapidly on the 'import of goods from outside countries. The sudden closing down will spell ruin to some business people and it will hamper everyone more or less. (Jould the Government have given some warning and restricted the im--.ports more gradually, business people would not be ao worried as at the present time. Those 111 control of secondary industries are confronted also with the task of arranging for a larger output. Stall's will have to be increased and raw materials bought in much larger quantities. There has not been time Lo see the stock oi goods in the big importing shops reduced to a very low level, but it will be interesting to see shop windows in six or nine months time. It is not possible for local production to fill up the empty spaces due to the import restrictions and most businesses will have to curtail their sales. One result will be a reduction in stall's as there will be fewer goods to handle. The extra labour required for the increased output in local industry may balance the reduction in the retail firms. There is no doubt that New Zealanders as a whole will find certain classes of goods impossible to buy. These can hardly be termed luxuries,

but better quality goods and the result will be less business for the retail firms. Time will show the exact results of the restricted importation of goods and the big business firms must suffer a loss of trade. It is a pity the problem of dealing with the decline of our London funds was hot tackled earlier, but as a General Election was imminent the Government found it necessary to say that all was very well. Trade restrictions of any kind bring about a peculiar set of circumstances which are often drametrically opposite to those desired. This new Act restricting imports will certainly injure many business people and it will be interesting to note if it will benefit the Secondary Industries as much as anticipated. A more gradual restriction would have been preferable to a sudden plunge into unknown trade conditions.