SERIOUS SUPPLY POSITION LIKELY NEXT YEAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22761, 6 October 1948, Page 6

SERIOUS SUPPLY POSITION LIKELY NEXT YEAR

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. Oct 5. The serious supply position that would inevitably arise next year owing to the failure of the . Government tn announce its policy on import licences fo> 1949 was emphasised today by Mr. B. E Woodhams, a member of the Dominion council of the New Zealand Retailers’ Federation.

In previous years the import licensing schedule had been announced in July "or August and the federation urged the Government to announce the schedules before June each year to enable importers to place their orders in time to the best advantage. “Here it is October and neither the retailers nor the manufacturers of the country have the slightest idea what the Government intends to do _about import licenses for next year,” said Mr- Woodhams. “As it *akes at least six months for orders from Britain to be executed it can be seen that the consuming public will be very seriously affected next year.

Piece Goods May be Scarce

“Had not many importers taken the risk and already ordered some of the most essential lines in the hope that at least licenses for these will be granted the supply position would be desperate by next March. As it is, the position cannot be anything but serious.

•'Woollen piece goods, cotton piece roods, and children’s clothing particularly are liable to be in desperately short supply next winter as the late announcement of the extent of the irnports which would bo allowed would not allow sufficient time for goods to be ordered and made op and delivered. Mr Woodhams pointed out that the cost of practically every line imported into New Zealand had been rising steadilv overseas and was still rhino Had the import schedule been announced when it should have been the goods could .have been bought at much lower prices than now. The rise had been so continual that it anpeared as if the dropping of the exchange rate would have little material effect on nriccs bv the time the goods were available in New Zealand next year.