IMPORT SCHEDULE ANOMALIES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14823, 10 November 1948, Page 2

IMPORT SCHEDULE ANOMALIES

LEAST FAVOURABLE YEAR

SELECTED

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S OBJECTION

Examples of anomalies arising out of the 1949 import schedule were quoted at a recent meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, which decided to renew its demand for an independent Tariff Board or similar tribunal, for the issuing of blocks of exchange, and for the publication of prohibited imports, says a supplied report. During the discussion it was claimed that the Minister in many cases had selected the least favourable year on which to base his 1949 schedule. It was stated that all clothing except children's and baby wear was cn the deferred list. Locally-made woollen underclothing in particular, was preferred by the public, but owing to labour difficulties it was in short supply and this position could not be alleviated because there was no provision for next year.

Leather gloves and all hosiery except woollen hosiery were on the non-allocated lists, and women’s hosi’ery, particularly nylons, were being produced locally in minute quantities. The allocation for towels, which were badly needed, v/as based on a year of low importations and would consequently be in shorter supply than 1 his year. One importer of hand wringers who had a licence for £2OO in 1938, sufficient for 100 wringers, had the value reduced year by year until it was £7l in 1949, sufficient for 18 wringers, it was stated. Two instances of the manner in which crockery licences had been affected were quoted. One firm which had a licence for £4OOO worth in 1938 had it reduced to £2OOO in 1948, and £IOOO in 1949. Twenty per cent, was deducted because of the alteration in the rate of exchange, leaving £BOO, which had a purchasing power on the 1938 basis of about £250.

A comparison of the retail cost of locally-made crockery and imported ware was made by another speaker. A white cup and saucer imported from England carried a retail price here of Is lid, while the locallymad« china retailed at, 3s 6d An English soup plate cost the customer Is Bd, and the New Zealand article 3s od, while the retail prices of a jug set were 10s for the English and 19s 9d for the New Zealand product.