SILK STOCKINGS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24733, 9 October 1941, Page 8

SILK STOCKINGS

OFFERS FROM OVERSEAS LOST OPPORTUNITIES NO IMPORT LICENCES (Special) AUCKLAND, Oct." 8. Speeches are being made in the House of Representatives about silk stockings, and the High Commissioner in London. Mr W. J. Jordan, has been asked by the Government to see what can be obtained, and all the time traders in Auckland possess definite offers of stockings but cannot act as import licences have not been granted. One firm alone has been offered almost 60,000 pairs of stockings, and, although its women customers are 'clamouring for supplies, it is helpless to satisfy the demand. " What the traders and the women of New Zealand want is not speeches in the House but the official authority of the Minister to take advantage of the offers that are still available," said one business man. Traders Dissatisfied Members of the wholesale and retail drapery trades in Auckland expressed extreme disappointment and dissatisfaction with the statement made by the Minister of Customs, Mr W. Nash, on Monday. Numerous cablegrams offering varying quanities of stockings have been received in Auckland. In some of these offers, the options have already expired and, through no fault of their own. firms are forced to miss these opportunities. In spite of this, licences to import are still withheld and with every hour of delay the position is becoming worse. "It appears now that it will be a case of locking the stable door after the horse has gone," was another comment, "because there is nothing available from Australia, a very limited quantity from Canada and the stocks in Britain are diminishing rapidly." Another trader was short and to the point when he said that Mr Nash could remedy the position by a stroke of his pen, thereby authorising licences to import before it was too late. Members of the trade expressed keen appreciation of the activities of Mr Jordan in many directions, but they could not agree that he was a qualified stocking buyer. All the importing houses have London offices with skilled and experienced buyers, whose job it is to be thoroughly familiar with the markets and to know what is obtainable and where. This fact is borne out by the quantities now offering. Ministerial Statement Awaited "What the trader wants to know is what the Minister is going to do about it," said another importer. " Obviously he has not been acquainted with the information made available to the officers of his, department, but he will know where to place the blame." Although the Minister's statement concerning the loss of machinery which was to make additional quantities in New Zealand was interesting, this importer added, it would be more interesting if he told what steps had been taken to replace the loss. It should not be overlooked that all this time his officers were fully advised of the position and were acauainted with the fact that supplies of all makes were available from Australia. Canada and Great Britain."