OUR IMPORTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11670, 10 April 1916, Page 4

OUR IMPORTS.

SHOULD THEY BE REGULATED, j ' . j The lack of shi opine facilities is tell-! ...... . i mg on local importers with increasing j .severity. All. classes nf traders are' experiencing difficulties which are now j regarded, as very serious. It is senernliy agreed thin, the Government is J not doing fill it might-for the benefit of the community in this re-sneer. It. may not ho the fault of the Government that there is a shortage of ship-! pinp. hut the authorities arc criticised for not arranging a hotter selection of the goods that are being shipped to New Zealand. Many importers are. in favour of the Government forbidding the importation of "luxuries.'' similar to the system now prevailing in Grant Britain. Tt is said', for instance, that motor-car importers tind little difficulty iu getting regular consignments, whereas importers of agricultural machinery are. increasingly handicapped. A representative of the "Star," this morning, called on a member of a leading local firm of engineers, and learned that., the reported difficulties had been by no means exaggerated. Although, everything that could bo made locally wa& being made, the requirements of the industry necessitated heavy importation from Britain. It was felt that some way of regulating tho imports should be instituted, but the question was one of some difficulty. " What is one man's mjcat is another's poison, 1 ' and '.the gentleman interviewed did not care to'say'.anything for publication, except that the whole subject would probably be discussed nt length at an early meeting of the local Chamber of Gonimerce. Importers of lightweight articles, he added, had the advantage over .importers .of machinery, inasmuch as the freights for, say, drapery were'much- higher than for heavy implements. The Prime Minister's intimation with' regard to the. meat exports that the shipping conditions would approach .normal about the end of June, gave a ray of hope, but, meanwhile, importers were up against it, and hoped for an early solution of their difficulties.