Board Urged To Help New Exporters

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29890, 2 August 1962, Page 9

Board Urged To Help New Exporters

A new type of businessman —the “new exporter"—was achieving prominence in New Zealand and harbour boards were among the bodies which could assist both the national and their own local economy by helping him, Mr S. E. Boanas told the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday. One of the means Mr Boanas saw for harbour boards to assist was the appointment of a full-time publicity officer —“a man trained like a journalist, with a nose for news, who could make interesting reading for the public and maintain the interest being shown in the new exporters.” At present the board presented trophies for export butter, meat and cheese, he said. A similar trophy could be given to encourage manufacturers in their export drive. Another way of encouraging exports. all of which would be of benefit to the province’s port, was the establishment of a new exporters’ club, limited to men who exported something new or exported something to a new place, he said. He moved that a sub-com-mittee should investigate the appointment of a “full-time publicity man." When no-one responded to the call of the chairman (Mr A. A. Macfarlane) for a seconder, and Mr Macfarlane was about to say it lapsed, Mr L. G. Amos seconded the motion pro forma. Shortly afterwards, Mr Amos sought to move an amendment that the question be referred to the Harbour Boards’ Association. He was

ruled out of order on the ground that he had seconded the original motion. The board contributed to the Canterbury Public Relations Office, which could handle the work quite well, said Mr W. P. Glue. "We would be going beyond our functions of a harbour board in this,” said Mr Macfarlane. “It is more the function of the Chamber of Commerce and the Public Relations Office.” “This is not something new,” said Mr F. I. Sutton. “It is an old horse of mine that I rode and rode until it collapsed under pressure from other members," The administration officer did some public relations work, said the secretarymanager (Mr A. L. Burk). Overseas harbaur authorities had their full-time public relations officers, photographers, and research officers, but they were world ports. “If this is referred to a national basis it will be every man for himself,” he said. “Every port says it is themost important in New Zealand.” On Mr Burk’s suggestion. Mr Boanas agreed to leave the motion to the next meeting for members to think over it in the meantime and for him to bring down a more concrete proposal.