LIKE RATION QUEUE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20601, 31 October 1941, Page 2

LIKE RATION QUEUE

QUEST FOR FILM AMATEURS’ CAMERAS MONTHLY LINE-UP (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. New Zealand’s nearest approach to a ration queue may be observed in each of the four main centres between 8.30 and 9 o’clock on Thursday mornings outside the retail shops of a large firm of photographic importers.

Hundreds of enthusiastic amateurs line up in queues extending up to 100 yards. Early birds get one roll of film and no more. Many go away empty handed. If they are lucky they may get a roll from one of the other retail distributors about the first of each month when limited supplies are received ffom the wholesale house. Such supplies, however, rarely last more than one day.

Much smaller quantities of other makes of film are absorbed equally quickly. A German brand which before the war had a fairly large sale is now, of course, off thC market completely.

New Zealand’s imports of photographic film are now restricted to 25 per cent.of the quantities received in 1938. Thanks to certain reserve stocks, however, the largest wholesale firm is able each month to give dealers, including its own retail shops, 33 1-3 per cent of the quantity they took in the corresponding month of 1938. No Prospect of Relief Many people whose custom it has been to preserve in film highlights of their Christmas holidays will this year be disappointed, and any hopes that some stocks may have been held ‘back to meet the extra demand of the holiday period are without foundation. The manager of a wholesale firm, in conveying that information yesterday, added that he could see no prospect of any easing of the shortage, but rather the opposite.

A suggestion that special import licenses should be issued to meet the needs of members of the fighting services in the Dominion and next-of-kin of those overseas was made by the manager. Even more worthy of special consideration was the case of wives of men overseas who in letters and broadcasts were asked time after time for snaps from home. Special import licenses, the manager said, should be issued to provide a limited amount of film to be sold only to servicemen and say those to whom men overseas made their allotment. Only a small amount of sterling funds would be required to give this service, which he felt would do a great deal for the maintenance of morale.