IMPORT CONTROL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23333, 29 April 1939, Page 15

IMPORT CONTROL

RESTRICTED GOODS PLANS TO PURCHASE ARRANGED FINANCE AUCKLAND INQUIRIES Numerous inquiries are being made by Auckland importers into the possibility of importing goods now restricted or on the prohibited list, but which it may be possible to finance without using the country's sterling funds. Goods affected include classes that are either not manufactured in the Dominion or in small quantity only, and also merchandise of a class not imported by the merchant concerned in the corresponding period of last year. So far, it does not appear that any nctual applications for special licences have been lodged. In most instances merchants are opening negotiations with overseas manufacturers to see if they will allow purchase money to remain for extended periods in the Dominion.

The Customs Department has prepared forms of applications for special licences where no remittances from New Zealand are involved. Applicants are required to declare that payment will not be made directly or indirectly from funds which accrued overseas in respect of products exported from New Zealand after December 5 last, and that payment of the goods is being arranged. It is necessary to state the source of funds by which payment is to be effected.

Negotiations Proceeding It is disclosed by representatives of the motor vehicle industry that negotiations have not yet been abandoned to permit imports of cars subject to financial arrangements that will not affect sterling funds for the time being. The seriousness of the position faced by the industry was emphasised by one man, who said that, as the second half of last year was a poor importing one, the 40 per cent cut now announced would represent less than 50 per cent of normal requirements in his business. Within a few weeks he considered it would be necessary to put off about 60 of a staff of ,130, the employees involved being skilled assemblers, salesmen, clerks and members of a tised car staff. Trading-in of used cars meant that about 80 cars were usually in stock in the used cilr department, and* about 40 would be carried in future unless the regulations could be relaxed. An impression by importers is that the Government is not disposed to consider barter arrangements whereby goods would be admitted in return for purchases in the Dominion unless thereby a new market is opened up for goods that otherwise would be denied An overseas outlet. Second Period Licences

The Customs Department has not yat begun the .issue of second period licences, but it is expected that it will do so next week. The necessity to mark off cancellations from applications is delaying the work. Cancellations apply to goods ordered before December 5 and in excess of quantities granted by the current period's licence, and also goods over-ordered subsequent to the announcement of the restrictions by importers because they did not understand the full effect of the regulations. It is estimated that it will take from two to three weeks after the start in the issue of second period licences to dispose of the present accumulation of applications, New applications for th,e second period are now being lodged freely.

FEMALE LABOUR

THE TEXTILE TBADE SHORTAGE IN WELLINGTON LARGER PRODUCTION HAMPERED / ■ [by telegraph —own correspondent] WELLINGTON, Friday Already holding more orders than they can conveniently handle, and expecting many more as the result of the new import restrictions, Wellington textile manufacturers are faced with a eerions shortage of female labour. This will make it virtually impossible for them to expand production.

Factory proprietors are anything from 20 to 50 per cent short in staff and at present they can see no way out of the difficulty. Widespread inquiries and the offer of special inducements, including the payment of wages above the award rate, have failed to bring the required recruits, and idle machines and piles of cut material waiting to be made up are visible evidence of the quandary of some of them. Manufacturers said that if they could get the necessary girls production could be increased anything up to 40 per cent, but that even an increase of that amount would not meet the full market shortage likely to result from the reduction of imports. That this labour problem is not likely to be solved in the immediate future is indicated by the fact that practically' no girls are offering themselves as apprentices. Manufacturers are at a loss to understand why female labour has suddenly deserted the textile trade.

BRAN FROM AUSTRALIA NO RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED / DOMINION PRODUCT LIMITED Import licences for bran and pollard «re being freely issued, according to information received from the Wheat Committee, Christchurch, by the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council yesterday. The council had previously written to the Wheat Committee pointing out the difficulties of dairymen owing to a threatened shortage of imported bran through the import restrictions. The letter from the Wheat Committee stated /that no restrictions were being imposed on bran and pollard, which were by-products of flour. The Quantity produced in New Zealand was limited by the quantity of flour milled locally, and as a result there was no fray in which the local product could be increased in quantity. » It was suggested that the council should advise those merchants who were now supplying bran to dairymen that because of the large .sales of Australian flour to the East there should be quantities of bran available for export by Australia. Members of the council expressed satisfaction that the threatened short•JZe of the commodities would not occur.