RUBBER CONTROLS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 149, 21 December 1945, Page 9

RUBBER CONTROLS

LIFTING DELAYED

P.A. AUCKLAND, This Day. An indication that the strike in Australia has prevented the lifting of rubber controls ip New Zealand was given by Mr. A. M. Seam,an, chairman of directors of Reid (New Zealand) Rubber Mills, Ltd., When addressing shareholders at the annual meeting.

"In spite of various optimistic messages, from overseas about the ending of all troubles due to rubber shortage, the position in the Dominion is that stocks of raw rubber are very low," said Mr- Seaman. "Substantial shipments are on the way and would have been here some weeks ago but for shipping delays arising from the regrettable industrial upsets in Australia. It had been confidently anticipated by the authorities that rubber controls in the Dominion could be almost entirely lifted by the end of this month, and substantial additions to the release quotas of several important lines have already been made. For the meantime further relief has been stayed, and the general lifting of controls must be delayed for an appreciable time longer." Mr, Seaman mentioned that the liberation of the main rubber-pro-ducing countries came just in time to render it unnecessary for the company to change over from natural to synthetic rubber as its basic raw material.