BRITISH EXPORTS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 188, 7 May 1941, Page 9

BRITISH EXPORTS

Case For Restriction To New Zealand WARTIME SACRIFICES

Need For Co-operation In

Dominion

New Zealand would be rendering a disservice to the war effort if it insisted on the importation of certain manufactured or partlymanufactured goods or raw materials from Great Britain, said the president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Mr. R. H. Nimmo, at the meeting of the chamber last night. Mr. Nimmo added that he felt bound to make a statement on the subject after having discussed it with Sir Harry Batterbee, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, and Mr. R. Boulter, British Trade Commissioner, and after having read statements on the subj’ect'by the Secretary to the Department of Overseas Trade and the President of the Board oi Trade.

“The commercial community and the public of New Zealand must face the issue unselfishly, and I am sure they will do so once they are appraised of the facts,” Mr. Nimmo said. “On the other hand, there are some goods necessary to New Zealand which the United Kingdom can still produce for export without causing embarrassment and which, in fact, might help the general war effort throughout the whole Empire. Question of Schedules. “As regards the issue of scedules of. the available goods, I feel that there are two main reasons why such cannot be produced. First, on account of the rapidly changing conditions it must be appreciated that, while there might be some possibility of preparing these lists, the information so given would actually be out of date before reaching the hands of those concerned. Second, and this seems to me to be the chief difficulty, many materials are available when required for consumption in a particular manner but not when required for some other purpose. “For example, steel might be available for essential work such as bridges, aerodrome hangars and general war effort, but not for the purposes deemed unessential under present conditions. The office of the British Trade Commissioner is ready at any time to telegraph to London inquiries as to the availability for export of supplies of any specific materials or goods. “The views of the British Government upon rhe whole question of exports from Britain and imports into New Zealand are clearly set out in the telegram published in the Wellington papers of December 9. This telegram stated that ’. . . the increasing claims which the war is making on the finamcial and productive resources of the Empire call for a policy which, while avoiding undue dislocation and hardship, will secure -the necessary restriction of production and consumption of non-essential goods.’ “It asked that New Zealand should continue to meet her essential requirements as far as possible from the United Kingdom when they can be most economically supplied from that source; |hat restriction of nonessential imports from the United Kingdom should be accompanied by equivalent economies in New Zealand s consumption; that undue dislocation should not be caused to United Kingdom industry which depends to an important -extent on the New Zealand market; and that the long-term position of the United Kingdom as a supplier of manufactured goods to New Zealand should be safeguarded. Gold and Dollar Resources. “In spite of the generous financial aid which is now being given by the U.S.A, under the Lease and Lend Bill, the necessity of conserving to the utmost the gold and dollar resources of the Empire still remains. Everincreasing calls are being made upon the productive capacity of the United Kingdom to meet the requirements of the combatant forces. In addition, the Battle of the Atlantic now demands that all the shipping available should be used in the most economic wav. Our armed forces in the Near and Middle East have first call upon shipping, and their requirements have grown far heavier since last December. “When this call has been satisfied the remaining ships must be concentrated upon the transport to Britain of essential foodstuffs, essential raw materials, and the ever-growing flood of munitions manufactured in the U.S.A. This is one of the reasons why the civilians in Britain are now forced to do without many of the ordinary articles of everyday use. “Britain herself is doing everything possible to intensify her war effort. Truly the hour has struck in our Motherland, and it is appropriate that I should bring to the attention of our commercial community and the public generally some salient facts in this regard, namely, the registration of age groups is now into the IS’s on the lower scale and the 40’s on the higher scale; ■women have been registered for industrial employment of national importance ; home supplies of consumption goods of all kinds have been severely restricted (in the case of cotton, linen ami woollen goods the domestic consumption hsrs been reduced to as low as 20 per cent, by volume of pre-war consumption) ; man-power and plant have been transferred from peace to wartime jobs; and so on, all of which endeavours are definite indications that a more direct war effort is taking precedence to any maintaining of export trade. Economy in Non-Essentials. “That is where we must come into the picture with the realization that we are not helping Britain if we clamour for British exports. The time has come when we must face up to the obligation of economizing in the consumption of non-essentials —-in other words, of doing without some of the things we are accustomed to, but this restriction in no way impinges upon the supply of essential foodstuffs which are in abundance in New Zealand. This economy in the consumption of nonessentials has been made compulsory in Britain for the last 12 mouths; now we must follow suit. Britain will give us what she reasonably can —beyond that we must not expect. “We New Zealanders must now look at the hard facts trs they are and nut as we wouid like them to be, and remember that our comparative isolation from the rigours of war should make the sacrifices which we are now beginning to experience a privilege in the knowledge that, however small such sacrifices may be, they are helping our kith and kin.

“It is sufficient to say that New Zealand is kept so well informed of the position in the United Kingdom that the public in this country who follow the trend of affairs must realize that no sacrifices we can make are in aujt

way comparable with the sufferings, hardships and privations which are being cheerfully borne by the people in the bastion of democracy and Christian civilization —the United Kingdom,” Mr. Nimmo concluded.

Tlie position had many aspects, said Mr. W. H. Hindle. While no one would disagree that sacrifices had to be made, the report conflicted with the attitude of United Kingdom manufacturers and exporters, wlio were still clamouring for more business. He quoted from official British sources in support of this contention.

The main impression be had gathered from Sir Harry Batterbee’s remarks was that New Zealand should reduce its consumption of all goods, including British, and save its own money to spend on the war effort, said Mr. M. G C. McCaul.

Members complimented Mr. Nimmo on his statement and expressed the view that the best procedure was to keep in touch with Mr. Boulter’s office regarding goods available for export.