Making Own TV Sets Defended

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29843, 8 June 1962, Page 6

Making Own TV Sets Defended

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 7.

The Government policy of promoting New Zealand-made television sets rather than importing them was defended by the Secretary of Industries and Commerce (Dr. W. B. Sutch) in the Arbitration Court today during the hearing of the application for a 10 per cent, general wage cut.

The manufacture of television sets in New Zealand was undertaken for various reasons, he said-. It was a natural extension of the existing radio industry. and thus permitted the growth and development of skills and techniques in the field of electronics which, would eventually be needed not only in television but an increasing number of industries.

Without skill and experience it would be difficult for many industries to develop efficiently by adopting new techniques requiring the use of electronics. New Zealanders, he said, had shown skill in electronics, as one manufacturer had designed and built a most efficient carbon-dating machine. It would probably be suitable for export, as no comparable equipment had been designed elsewhere.

Dr. Sutch said that to have imported complete television sets would have required the expenditure initially of about £1,000,000 of overseas funds a year, rising to at least £2,500,000 a year within about five years. Manufacture in New Zealand meant an immediate saving of about £250.000 a year, rising to £1,500,000 a year in five years.

He said that had it not been for the saving of overseas funds arising from New Zealand manufacture, the development of a television service in New Zealand would possibly have been seriously restricted. Overseas Fund "As with several, other manufactures in New Zealand. we either make them here or go without because of scarcity of overseas funds,” he said. He said economies in pro-

duction could not be achieved in the initial stages —experience and competition should, before long, result in lower priced sets. United Kingdom sets could not be imported into New Zealand to sell substantially cheaper than sets made in New Zealand.

Mr A. P. O'Shea (Sheepowners’ Union advocate) said his experience was that a television set could be bought in England and brought, at less than half the cost of a similar set made here.

, He asked Dr. Sutch: “Isn’t it a bit hot to ask the prices (hat are being asked here? Isn’t the public being taken for a ride.” Dr. Sutch said he’d rather not answer that particular question. Mr Justice Tyndall said friends of his had imported television sets from the United Kingdom at a cost which did not fit in with Dr Sutch's statements.

Dr. Sutch said that perhaps the sets referred to were made in Hong Kong. Mr Justice Tyndall commented again on Hong Kong goods being stamped “Brit-ish-made"—which was misleading the public, he said. Dr. Sutch said it would be better if the country of origin was stamped on the goods.