READY TO MEET IMPORTERS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 93, 13 January 1939, Page 10

READY TO MEET IMPORTERS

Minister Of Customs

PROPOSED DOMINION CONFERENCE

Comment By Mr. Savage

VALUE OF CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM Confirmation of Press reports that he was quite willing tq attend a Dominion conference of importers to discuss problems arising from the new import regulations was .riven by the Minister of Customs, Mr. Nash, in reply to an inquiry yesterday. Mr. Nash said some of the importers had suggested a conference and he had said he was quite willing to attend if they cared to arrange a meeting. The proposed conference was also referred to by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, in an interview last evening. There was nothing to be lost by discussing such things, he said. “There is .no royal road to success, and I do not think anyone has any monopoly of intelligence when it comes to considering external trade, the Prime Minister said. “It is remarkable the number of people who think that every item of detail in connexion with the control of external trade should have been known by the Government before any step was taken. “It would be a wise Government, indeed, that knew all that. This Government was wise enough to know that unless some steps were taken our external trade would have been hampered in any case because our credits overseas would have disappeared, he said.

The Prime Minister said that whatever assistance the Government could get from the importers or from anyone else it would be glad to get. The Government did not mind criticism, and if that criticism was constructive it would be all the more valuable.

“If anybody tells us that we should go ou during the next three years as we have been during the last three, all I can say is that we want better advice than that,” Mr. Savage added. “We have to have a better balance in industry and do more in. the way of producing consumable goods. If the manufacturers are given a chance--and we are giving them a chance—l am sure they will do the job. The transformation cannot be made over a weekend. It will take time.”

PLACEMENT OFFICE BUSINESS

No Abnormal Inquiry

The number of inquiries for positions and the number of placements had been normal so far, said Mr. A. W. Ridler, supervisor of the State Placement Service, when asked yesterday whether the import restrictions had bad any effect on the labour marHe said it was possible that during the next few days there would be inquiries from manufacturers who wished to increase their staff or from employees who had been thrown out of work as a result of the decreased imports to New Zealand. It would be difficult, however, to "associate any inquiries with the Government’s regulations unless the employer or employee mentioned the point to the Placement Office. * EXEMPTIONS KNOWN IN SWEDEN Surprise Of Auckland Business Man

AUCKLAND, January 12. Au Auckland business man who has dealings with a Swedish firm is mystilied by a statement in a letter received bv airmail this week and posted in Sweden on December 20. The lettei refers to the import restriction regulations and goes on to say: -Certain exemptions are stated, but these cannot, as far as we can find out, have any reference to our materials. It is further stated that the Swedish firm was advised of the regulations by the General Export. Association of Sweden and, presumably, had also been advised of the exemptions.' The Auckland business man is wondering how anyone in Sweden could have had such information on December 20, when Auckland importers were in the dark.