BRITISH EXPORT POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26849, 13 August 1948, Page 6

BRITISH EXPORT POLICY

Sir,—You report in your issue of July 30 that the president of the Board of Trade, Mr Harold Wilson, announced in the House of Commons that footwear • would come off the ration but clothing coupons remained unchanged at 24 for six months, beginning on September 1. Men’s suits, however, will be brought down six coupons, to 20. Women’s lined suits, dresses, sheets, cotton and blankets are also brought down in coupon value. The reason for my bringing the above to the notice of your readers is the following' from the Daily Telegraph (England), March 28, of this year: Mr W. T. Caves, secretary of the Wholesale Textile Association,,, has ?stated that -the • national wardrobes are bulging with goods, while the citizens* wardrobes are practically bare. Unless something is done quickly we are going to have the biggest black market we have ever seen in this country.'• Nobody will be prepared for ever f-to sit back and watch goods accumulating on his shelves. Our warehouses are bulging, and something must be done.' 'He went on to give Important figures to show that in almost every branch of the clothing industry stocks were up tothe neighbourhood of 100 per cent. Mr Wilson has repeatedly pointed out that with the export drive at the moment it is not possible to do anything about the clothes ration. It is possible that the stock figures of some items are better than others, and we are keeping an eye on the position.” < The women of Great Britain are also / keeping an eye on the position, and have noted the conflicting statements made by various Government departments. Sir Stafford Cripps had himself stated over the air that there was now a difficulty in finding markets for all textiles. ■.: I wonder if the women of Otago will take the time to read this .letter, and those who have been waiting for years for coloured towels, to mention only one item needed in the average household, be spurred to bring the matter to the notice of their representatives in Parliament.—l am, etc., A Header.