IMPORTS POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25343, 26 October 1945, Page 9

IMPORTS POLICY

DELAY WITH SCHEDULES SERIOUS VIEW TAKEN "The delay in issuing the 3946 import schedules is becoming serious." said Mr A. G. Wilson at a meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday. "We should ask the Minister to expedite this, so that we will know what we can and cannot do. Businessmen are trying to build up their staffs and provide employment for returning servicemen, but we are prevented from arranging for increased s 1 affs until wo know how we are going to be placed. "We have a large sterling fund in l/€iidon, and Britain lias guaranteed to take certain exports from us for 12 months, so there is no danger of our balance being affected," Mr Wilson said. There might be delays regarding trade restoration with the United States and other countries, which were holding things up, but there seemed no reason why particulars of imports to be permitted from Britain should not lio made known. An assurance that future allocations would not be fixed on any quantitative basis, such as the use of ]!MB import figures, was given by the Minister of Customs, Mr Nash, in a letter received by the chamber. "The Ministry of Supply has performed a valuable service, but, in so far as its association with the import

licensing procedure is concerned, its services will be retained no longer than necessary," said Mr Nash. "It is envisaged, however, that it will still be required to perform a considerable amount of work, particularly while exports from supplying countries are limited and subject to controls." To the extent that funds were available for consumer goods which it was necessary or desirable to import, these would be obtained as far as possible from the United Kingdom, said the Minister. "New Zealand is building up enormous sterling funds in London and British manufacturers are becoming concerned about the increasing barriers which are being built up against them in New Zealand and other Dominions," said Mr B. «J. Turner, who has recently arrived in New Zealand as secretary of the Reciprocal Trade Federation of the United Kingdom. He attended the meeting by invitation and gave a short address. Britain had a long and uphill fight ahead of her to regain her trade, and she was looking to the Dominions lor co-operation, said Mr Turner. Manufacturers in the United Kingdom were working "all out." to change over their plants to enable trade resumption as early as possible. His federation, he said, had been formed b.v manufacturers, exporters and primary producers | in Britain.