IMPORTERS AND SHIPPERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24607, 15 May 1941, Page 3

IMPORTERS AND SHIPPERS

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE

The monthly meeting of the executive of the Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association was held on Tuesday afternoon, when the vice-president (Mr J. H. Edmond) took the chair. Correspondence with the New Zealand Importers’ Federation, Wellington, was considered in connection with a proposal of the Prime Minister earlier in the year to set up an Economic Council, when the federation had written asking that consideration be given to allowing it to nominate a member, as it represented the bulk of leading importers throughout the Dominion, who naturally were closely interested in such a proposal.—The secretary reported that he had heard nothing further, and the general opinion was that the suggestion had fizzled out, A copy of a letter to the federation from his Majesty’s Trade Commissioner '.n Wellington regarding a report from Home that a large number of factories in Britain were closing within a very short time, under a Government scheme for the concentration of industry, and that as a result of such action a reduction of exports was involved, was next considered. The commissioner pointed out that the President of the Board of Trade had recently, in a speech in the House oi Commons, rebutted such a suggestion, stating rather that the policy of the Government was to concentrate production in a reduced number of factorie? working full time. These factories shoulo then be able to p'.oduce, first, the output required for Government orders; secondly the greatest practicable export trade; and thirdly, the minimum needs of tire population of the United Kingdom. The President of the Board of Trade added that Britain had still the capacity and the labour to keep up a substantial trade, but that careful discrimination was necessary to secure that as far as possible the exports filled the needs of Britain's customers. thus maintaining their connection after the war and providing the United Kingdom with all the useful exchange possible. The only qualification in ail this was that it was not intended to modify the policy of reducing the demands from New Zealand and other parts of the Empire upon the United Kingdom for non-essential goods, the production of which would divert men, materials and machinery from more direct contribution to the war effort. In regard to that important part ot the association’s work which deals with claims, the secretary reported on two items that he had on hand.