MAGAZINE IMPORTS

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31409, 30 June 1967, Page 15

MAGAZINE IMPORTS

Waste Seen Of Exchange

Many thousands of pounds of overseas exchange could be saved by a more selective policy in importing overseas magazines and periodicals, Mr L. R. Bloxham, a Christchurch journalist, told members of the Christchurch Photographic Society on Wednesday evening. Waving a handful of magazines with names such as “Sick Spoof,” “Mad,” “Famous Monsters,” and “Dizzy Dames,” Mr Bloxham said: “These are but a few of the many hundreds of periodicals that come into this country each week.”

Information from the Customs Department showed that the value of periodicals imported by New Zealand exceeded £2 million a year. The figure for the three years from 1963 to 1966 was £6.8 million, he said. Mr Bloxham said that the Import allocation for the current year had been cut 80 per cent, and he hoped this would result In a greater discretion! in the choice of magazine imported. ‘The tragedy of this whole business is that quite a number of poorer quality magazines are never purchased and eventually have to be destroyed,” he said. In its letter to Mr Bloxham, the Customs Department said that the Government normally did not attempt to interfere In the importers’ freedom under licence to purchase abroad as he wished. This policy had proved successful, and both importers and the public seemed to have chosen widely but, In the main, sensibly the letter said.