BRITISH GOODS

Evening Star, Issue 25701, 26 January 1946, Page 12

BRITISH GOODS

EXPORT PROSPECTS Confronted with bare shelves and. an unprecedented consumer demand, New Zealand merchants are turning anxious eyes to Britain in the hope that, within the stringent limits of import control, she may be able to assist in meeting local shortages (states the ' New Zealand Herald'). In a letter dated earlier this month to a prominent Auckland firm, a large-'London exporting house sums up the prospects for a wide variety of lines of great interest to prospective New Zealand buyers. Dealing with cotton piece goods, the letter stated that, while there was plenty of rrfw cotton in Britain, . the difficulty was to secure sufficient labour. Nearly 80 spinning mills bad reopened in the last six months, but many were not in full production through a labour shortage. An increase in the number of weaving looms was not anticipated for two to three months. In the opinion of the London firm there should be a noticeable improvement in production by April or May, and this should be progressive. The view was also'expressed that the authorities would continue to insist that a large proportion of production should be in utility types, such as sheeting, flannelettes, and cloths, such as printed cottons, casements, tailors' linings, footwear linings, etc. • . .. ; " Everyone wants soft furnishings, curtain nets, and furniture coverings badly, - and hardly anywhere more than Britain, with its 1,000,000 bomb-dam-aged homes," the letter adds. " So far, production has been small, consisting of a small quantity of hangings for bombed-out families and some sponsored by the Australian Government, but no free trade production at all. New Zealand has sponsored 50 tons of cotton for furniture coverings. Tablecloths, serviettes, andl many .other cotton lines which we considered pre-war necessities are still* classed ' as luxuries and are not. being.made. .Most of ;the foregoing, however, should be in production by May or June, possibly a little earlier, but even then several weeks'must elapse before the cloth is woven, finished, and ready for shipmerit." . There is plenty of wool in Britain, nml. in spite of labour shortages, production is increasing. The London firm does not expect any noticeable improvement for export for at least six to nine months, pnssihlv longer.