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The'other goods supplied fall into the categories of foodstuffs and soap, leather and leather manufactures, industrial implements and materials, agricultural implements,, cordage and rope, medical supplies, used military clothing, boots, &c., grass and vegetable seeds, and raw wool. Freights, storage, and administrative services have also involved expenditure on behalf of UNRRA. Supplies of both goods purchased and goods donated have been shipped with our assistance to a variety of destinations. Among them we find Greece, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Albania, Italy, Austria, Ukraine, Byelo-Russia, China, and the Philippines. Although it is not an objective of our contribution, this distribution has as a consequence the effect of causing the quality and variety of some of our products, to become well known in the respective areas, and already certain trade inquiries have been made. In December, 1944, at the invitation of the Government, a Netherlands East Indies Government purchasing delegation arrived in New Zealand to examine the possibility of procuring supplies for the relief and rehabilitation of the Netherlands East Indies. The prospects of obtaining substantial quantities of Government reserve stocks and manufactured goods proved sufficiently attractive for the establishment in January,. 1945, of a branch office in Wellington of the Netherlands Indies Government Import and Export Organization which during the next few months became widely known in departmental and commercial circles as NIGIEO. Officials of the Organization visited a number of factories in this country, and although it was the practice for orders to be placed by the Organization with this Department to arrange contracts with the manufacturers, in most cases preliminary negotiations were conducted directly between the supplier and the NIGIEO representative. The latter made a point of following the progress of orders and of offering any advice or information needed by manufacturers from time to time. Manufacturers' associations in the various Centres proved very helpful to the visitors. Despite shortages of some raw materials and of man-power, but without affecting the tempo of production for war purposes, a number of contracts were placed with New Zealand manufacturers from the large programme of requirements which the Netherlands East Indies Government had prepared against the day of liberation. The most interesting feature of these contracts as far as New Zealand was concerned was the indication they gave of the enormous quantities of goods absorbed in the Netherlands East Indies. It also came to be appreciated that catering for Eastern markets is a matter of knowing not only what goods are needed, but also exactly how they should be made. It was natural that certain goods, required in unprecedented quantities, for Native use should be ordered to different specifications from the article customarily produced here. Some manufacturers met the position by installing new equipment, others by adapting existing equipment and altering processing methods. The total value of orders placed by the Organization in New Zealand was substantial, and if the introduction of this country's products into the East Indies can be exploited in the future it will go some distance towards bridging the gap between our imports, from and our exports to that area. Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (1,860 copies), £76

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington. —1946. Price 1/-.]

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