IMPORT SYSTEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23706, 13 January 1939, Page 8

IMPORT SYSTEM

SUSPENSION SOUGHT THE AUCKLAND PETITION DOMINION CONFERENCE LARGE DELEGATION PROPOSED (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Jan. 12. Suspension for the time being of the operation of the import control regulations is sought in a petition prepared by the Bureau of Importers for submission to the Governor-General (Viscount Galway) and circulated by the bureau to kindred organisations throughout New Zealand. The petition. which was prepared for the bureau by Mr R. M. Algie, was read al a meeting of about 100 business men at the Chamber of Commerce, when there was general support for the suggestion that a special train should be engaged to take 300 Auckland imSorters to Wellington to attend the dominion conference in connection with the effects of the regulations. The petition stated that the signatories were encouraged to present the petition by their reliance on the statement made by King George VI on December 14, 1937, when, on his ascension to the Throne, he said:—“ You may be assured that it is my determination to do all that lies within my power to safeguard the liberties of my people and to promote their prosperity and contentment.”

Grounds of Petition

The particular grounds of the petition were itemised under five headings. The first stated that the regulations were, in the opinion of the petitioners, a violation of the spirit and intent of the Ottawa Agreement. The petitioners had been advised that there was a grave doubt whether the regulations were intra vires and valid, and it was their intention to seek from the Supreme Court a declaratory judgment in which the court would be asked to pronounce upon the validity or otherwise of the regulations. Pending final determination on this question, very serious hardship was being, and was likely to be. inflicted on importers generally and on their employees, because of the refusal of the Government to issue any statement of policy. Further, the petition stated, unemployment was feared as a result of the effect on business. The importers were not anxious to reduce staffs, and thus specially asked that the regulations should not be operative until their validity had been decided by the court. The Minister of Customs (Mr W. Nash) had consistently refused to explain the principles on which his department was working, and had declined to answer relevant Questions.

Private Rights Restricted

The petition added that the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) had repeatedly stated that it was the intention of his party to ensure the welfare of the people as a whole and that no section of the community would be subjected to any form of discrimination. Such a revolutionary change as the preseat one should not have been made until the nepple had had an opportunity of voting on it. “It is very respectfully submitted "hat the private rights of a particular section of the community ought not to be arbitrarily restricted or ruthlessly abrogated, even by the High Court of Parliament itself, and upon this basis it is strenuously pleaded that there is a stronger reason why such private rights ought not to be interfered with by regulations which are but a species of subordinate legislation and which provide no right of appeal, except to the Minister whose regulations, in effect. they are,” the petition concludes. Many signatures to the petition were forthcoming from among business men at the meeting. Information Refused The president (Mr W. A. Boucher) said that a request, had been sent to the British Trade Commissioner (Mr R. Boulter) in Wellington to seek schedules of the restricted and other British goods from the Minister. A reply had been received that the Minister had declined to furnish schedules. Pillowing the announcement that Christchurch intended sending 150 business men to the conference in Wellington late this month, Mr Gainor Jackson said that Auckland should send 300. They should endeavour to get a special train. The bureau intends, if possible, to present the petition to his Excellency on January 23. PETITION NOT FAVOURED ATTITUDE OF WELLINGTON MERCHANTS (Per United Press Association* WELLINGTON, Jan. 12 Several leading Wellington merchants, interviewed to-day, said that they did not favour the Auckland petition in reference to the import control regulations, and they certainly would not sign it. “We think it an entirely wrong wav to go about obtaining any redress,” said one merchant.

IMPORTERS’ CONFERENCE MR NASH WILLING TO ATTEND PRIME MINISTER AND CRITICS (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 12. Confirmation of the press reports, that he was quite willing to attend a Dominion conference of importers to discuss problems arising from the new import regulations, was given by the Minister of Customs (Mr Nash) in reply to an inquiry to-day. The proposed conference was also referred to by the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) in an interview this evening. There was nothing to be lost by discussing such things, he said. “There is no royal road to success, and I do not think anyone has any monopoly of intelligence when it comes to considering external trade,” the Prime Minister said. “It is remarkable the number of people who think that every item of detail in connection with the control of external trade should have been known by the Government before any step was taken. It would be a wise Government, indeed, that knew all that. This Government was wise enough to know that, unless some steps were taken, our external trade would have been hampered in any case because our credits overseas would have disappeared.” The Prime Minister said that whatever assistance the Government could get from importers or from anyone else it would be glad to get. The Government did not mind criticism, and, if that criticism was constructive, it would be all the more valuable, “ If anybody tells us that we should go on during the next three years as we have been during the last three, well, all I can say is that we want better advice than that,” Mr Savage added. “We have to have a better balance In industry and do more in the way of producing consumable goods. If the manufacturers are given a chance—-and we are giving them a chance —I am sure they will do the job. The transformation cannot be made over the week-end; It will take time.”

EXPANSION OF PRODUCTION “NO TIGHTENING OF BELTS” MR SAVAGE REPLIES TO CRITIC (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 12. “ I do not agree with that philosophy and all I can say is that we are not going to tighten our belts,” said the Prime Minister (Mr Savage), commenting in an interview this evening on a statement by the past president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand (Mr M. G. C. McCaul) on the import control regulations. Mr McCaul said: “ I think that the Prime Minister would be wise to take the people completely into his confidence and say to them. ‘ We have had a glorious picnic for three years. We have spent all our money and now we must tighten our belts and pay for the fun we have had.’ ”

Mr Savage said that New Zealand was just as productive now as it had been during the past three years, and the Government’s job was .to expand that production and not take in the country’s belt. "This philosophy has been preached since I was a lad,” the Prime Minister continued, “and so I understand it pretty well. I do not want anyone to tel! me what the struggle of the average citizen is like, because I have been through it. I have dedicated the remainder of my days to endeavouring to make it impossible for others to have to put up with what I had to put up with. This philosophy of tightening our belts will not do me.”

FLOODED WITH APPEALS CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT MANUFACTURERS PREPARE FOR EXPANSION (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 12. Little further development has taken place in the import situation in Wellington from the importers’ point of view. Hopes are entertained that most of the applications for licences at present in the hands of the collector of Customs in Wellington (Mr R. J. Gray) will have been dealt with by the end of this week. In the meantime the office of the Customs Department has been flooded with appeals against the quotas imposed. Referring to statements that New Zealand had been over-importing, a leading importer of softgoods said today that this hadi arisen merely as a consequence of the law of supply and demand. Firms were buying more heavily, but they were selling equally as fast. His firm was not holding any surplus stocks. What he found most difficult to understand was why licences for imports of softgoods had been held up so long. Manufacturers are refraining from comment until the position becomes more clarified. In the meantime the scheme propounded by the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation to collate information relating to industrial production is being steadily put under way. It was learned in Wellington to-day that a number of manufacturers were making preparations for additions to their premises, as well as increasing their plant and hands, but no specific details were available. A PROFESSOR’S BROADCAST REGARDED AS UNFORTUNATE. (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) . LONDON, Jan. 11. Mr W. J. Jordan informed the Australian Associated Press that he had called on Mr Malcolm MacDonald, who expressed the opinion that Professor Hall’s broadcast was unfortunate and undesirable, and undertook to take up the matter with the chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation immediately, Mr Jordan designated as ex parte, and based on incorrect information unfavourable to New Zealand, Professor N. F. Hall’s broadcast on January 4 criticising the New Zealand import control scheme. Mr Jordan protested to the British broadcasting authorities and requested a correction by radio. Professor Hall is professor of political economy in the University of London.