1948 IMPORT LICENCES

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25445, 17 March 1948, Page 6

1948 IMPORT LICENCES

RETAILERS EXPRESS CONCERN REDUCTION OF STOCKS (P.A.) NEW PLYMOUTH, March 16. Grave algrm was felt by vbe retail trade throughout New Zealand because of the reduction in the 1948 basic import licences and the Governments present attitude in granting very few supplementary licences to importers on the evidence of availability, said a report presented to the conference of the Retailers’ Federation. “There «ds- no indication that there will be any marked improvement m the near future in deliveries of many locally-manufactured goods," the report stated. “In many cases the supply position is likely to deteriorate until it becomes as difficult as' any time since 1940. “Because of the granting of» many special licences last year, the buying public has recently been able to purchase for the first time since 1940, .a reasonable supply of many of the bread-and-butter lines in the retail trade. Because of the drastic cut in import licences for 1948, the supply has been almost completley cut off. “The reserves of stock, which had accumulated in certain lines, are rapidly becoming exhausted,” added the report, “and there is little hope of replenishing them within a reasonable time.

“The trade is utterly at a loss to understand why, in addition to being told that we must live within our income, responsible departments are so definite in their assertions that the main reason why special licences for the importation of many essential lines are being refused is that there are ample stock reserves to meet the public demand for a considerable time. The trade has no hesitation in challenging the Government to inform the public on what grounds this opinion is based. British Supplies Available “Retailers have ample evidence that sufficient supplies are available in Britain to relieve the future stock position considerably. “Offers of availability are still being received for many of the lines which are going to be critically short for a considerable, period owing to the Government’s present attitude in not granting licences while supplies are procurable overseas.” Some of the items which the report stated were likely to be in critical supply if the Government adhered to its present policy include worsted suitings and linings for men’s suits, men’s halfhose and work socks, men’s knitted outer-wear, pullovers and cardigans, and underwear, men’s and boys’ pyjamas, and pyjama material, boys’ sch'ool stockings, and boys’ knitted jerseys and pullovers, sheets and sheeting, tea towels, diaper cloth, flanellette winceyette, and cream baby flannel, blind holland, linoleum, and carpets, gloves of all kinds, ribbons and laces, all crockery including plain everyday cups, saucers and plates, infants’ wear of all types, men’s, women’s, and children’s handkerchiefs, and handkerchief material;

, AGE OF N.Z. CARS

PAMPHLET ISSUED BY IMPORTERS

On the New Zealand roads there are 15,238 fully efficient cars of from one to five years old, 85,893 cars of from five to 10 years old, which are beginning to show age and need servicing, 56,142 of 10 to 15 years old which are not efficient, and 52,7.54 cars over 15 years old which are uneconomic and dangerous,” says a pamphlet issued by the New Zealand Motor Vehicle Importers’ Association. “In 1938 ttiotor-car imports from Great Britain were 17,606, and from other sources 10,449, making a total of 28,055. In 1947 the licences allowed the estimated importations of 13.912 from Britain and 4993 from other sources, making a total of 18,905. For 1948, estimated importations are only 8500 from Britain and 1500 from other sources, totalling 10,000.” “The 1938 national export income was £58,000,000, of which 7.6 per cent, was allotted to motor-car imports. The 1948 national export income is £130,000,000, of which 2.6 per cent, is estimated as the car imports -allotment. At the 1948 rate of importation it would take 20 years to replace the national motor-car fleet,” says the pamphlet. •

LICENCES FOR 10,000 ’ MOTORCARS

COMPLAINT BY 'MOTOR UNION PRESIDENT

(I>.A.) AUCKLAND, March 16. Although British manufacturers had guaranteed 20,000 passenger cars for the New Zealand market in 1948, import licences allowed for the importation of only 10.000. a reduction of 7000 on last year's quota, said the vice-president of the North Island Motor Union (Mr F. G. Farrell) who left Auckland by aeroplane for Christchurch to-day to attend the halfyearly conference of the South Island Motor Union opening at Dunedin on Thursday. New Zealand’s refusal to take delivery of the 20,000 cars would deal a serious blow to the United Kingdom. Mr Farrell added. British manufacturers could* not obtain allocations of steel and raw materials unless they could assure themselves of a market overseas. The South Island Motor Union conference would in all probability make representations to the Government to increase import licences.