MORE IMPORTS

Grey River Argus, 21 March 1940, Page 3

MORE IMPORTS

SCHEME PROPOSED. AUCKLAND, March 19. On the grounds that New Zealand’s overseas funds have increased from £6,800,000 to £20,000,000, and 'that England has repeatedly appealed for export business to assist her in her war effort, members of the Bureau of Importers instructed their executive at tM annual meeting to-day to call a conference to formulate and submit a scheme to the Government. The conference, it is suggested, should be held in Wellington on April 23. The executive is to seek the support of chambers of commerce, the British and United Kingdom Manufacturers’ Association, the Wholesale Merchants’ Federation, the Farmers’ Union the Shipowners’ Federation, and retail associations throughout the Dominion. The object of the ’conference will be the formulation and submission of a scheme which will, if adopted, assist Great Britain in her war effort, supply New Zealanders with many of the goods now denied them under the regulations introduced nine months before the outbreak of war, and enable merchants, importers, retailers. and distributors to carry on their businesses, keep their employees in work, and contribute their share towards the Dominion’s war effort.

A second resolution carried by the meeting was that a telegram should be sent to the Minister for Customs (the Hon. W. Nash) stating that in view of the present position of New Zealand’s overseas funds, and the fact that last year’s Dominion’s exports to the United Kingdom exceeded visible imports by nearly £24.000.000 (New Zealand currency) members requested the earliest modification of the import restrictions. The object of this \yould be to enable increased imports of British manufactured goods, and the Dominion’s maximum contribution to the war effort.