IMPORT SCHEDULE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27012, 22 February 1949, Page 4

IMPORT SCHEDULE

RETAILERS CRITICAL PRICE CONTROL ALSO ATTACKED ' - PARTIAL RELAXATION URGED PA • TIMARU, Feb. 21. The New Zealand Retailers’ Federation will undertake a publicity campaign to show the women of New Zealand the serious repercussions of the present 1949 import licensing schedule. This was decided at a meeting of the federation to-day. It was stated that the importation of nylon hose was prohibited. While recognising the high standard of output of New Zealand factories and considering available supplies and the present policy of the Price Control Division in fixing the cut, make and trim costs, the conference thought that the Dominion was lagging behind in fashion trends. , ‘‘We are living under austerity conditions in many respects at a time when our export trade is at a record level,” said a delegate, “and even if we cannot have all that the fashionconscious desire, surely we can have at least token imports over a wider range of goods. A decision to ask for a partial relaxation of price control was also reached. Mr J. A. Stenberg (Auckland), in moving the remit, said that his asso-r-'-'+i'm favoured the relaxation of price control on a selected range of com- - ouities for an experimental period of six months. “ We feel that the supply position of many lines will enable competition to control prices adequately,” said Mr Stenberg, “and the Government has already admitted this fact by recently abandoning price control on a substantial range of fruit and vegetables.” An amendment that the removal of price control from a range of lines should be permanent and not experimental was withdrawn after several delegates had emphasised that control bad now been in operation for nearly 10 years and any relaxation needed to be gradual. It was left to each trade group to select lines which were in adequate supply, the lines to be collateaVmd forwarded to the Minister of Inftusjtries fend Commerce with a request that they be freed from price control for six months at the end of which the position could be reviewed by all interested parties. 1 .