STATEMENTS REFUTED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 27 May 1944, Page 4

STATEMENTS REFUTED

ANSWER FROM COMMISSIONER OF SUPPLY IMPORTATION OF ENAMELLED HOLLOWARE Wellington. May 26. In a letter addressed to the president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, the Commissioner of Supply, Mr F. R. Picot. challenges the recent statement issued by Dr. Neale, secretary, in regard to the importation of enamel holloware. The Commissioner outlines the difficulties of importation which had to be faced in the early stages of tlie war and accuses Dr. Neale of having strong prejudices against what he regards as Government interference. He states that the commercial public were taken into the confidence of the Ministry of Supply when lease-Jend material did become available and. in reply to Dr. Neale’s allegation th=>t the purchases were made at less favourable terms than would have been the case had they been made through merchant dealers holding import license the Commissioner quotes the following letter received from the agent for the brand of hollow are concerned: — “Your department did not come into the picture on the importing side until February, 1943, when you conferred 1 with us, following advice from Washington that a bulk Government order might be arranged. We were consulted because the ..ame of our principals was mentioned (Vollrath Company) as possible suppliers. ... If an importer had bought direct he would have paid a New York buying house 5 per cent, commission. Your department charged 21 per cent, overhead on these importations and allowed us 32 per cent, for distributing. An example of the nett result is the Voffrath 1564 saucepoi. In 1942, landed direct by an importer in Wellington, it cost him 12s 8d per piece. Stock supplied to them ex your distribution this month cost then* 10s each for the same line. . . . Had the Ministry of Supply not met the present situation, none of the stocks now dig tributed would have been manufactured tor export through ordinary traae ' channels.”