Practical Steps Proposed

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1947, Page 4

Practical Steps Proposed

Other recommendations approved were:—

Imports and Sterling Areas.—Approach to Britain to try to arrange a programme for essential imports and to ascertain which goods she wishes to reserve for export to hard currency countries.

Dollar Expenditure.—’The Government to be urged to accept delay in securing supplies not immediately essential and to examine the relative essentiality of capital works. Commenting on this, Mr F. P. Walsh, chairman of the committee, said that it was felt that if dollars could be saved by not going on with capital works this should be done.

Farm Machinery.—The Government to be asked to lift immediately import restrictions on farm machinery. Mr Walsh added that investigations had revealed that New Zealand manu-

facturers could not cope with the requirements of machinery necessary for increased farm production. If the machinei-y would not be obtained from Britain it would be sound economics to get it from hard currency areas. Fertilisers: Immediate investigation of ways of getting on to farms, in the next two or three months if possible, up to at least 50 per cent above the noi-mal output as planned. This may involve giving farmers the right to transport fertilisers for neighbours. Efficient Use of Transport: Rapid discharge of railway wagons; local transport committees to be set up, with power to make l-ecommendations to the National Industrial Emergency Council; maximum use of all available road transport, transpoi-t licensing authorities to consider x-emoval of all restrictions on back loading and commodities to be carried.