FIFTH PERIOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 215, 10 September 1940, Page 8

FIFTH PERIOD.

IMPORT LICENSES. SCHEDULES EXPECTED RELAXING RESTRICTIONS? Schedules for fifth period import licenses are expected to be issued "throughout the Dominion within the next fortnight, and it is generally anticipated that the period to be covered will be a year, instead of six months. An extension of the licensing term will be welcomed not only in commercial circles, where greater elasticity is essential, particularly in view of war 1 'conditions, but also in departmental ' offices, where staff changes resulting from recruiting have thrown an added burden of work upon Customs officials. Experience during the past 12 months has shown that half-yearly licensing periods are unsatisfactory, according to opinions expressed in Auckland, and to- ! day a longer time is necessary to obtain ; deliveries of numerous imported lines. Another aspect is that benefit should result through overcoming seasonal difficulties connected with six-monthly licensing. It is expected that the schedules will be relaxed sufficiently to admit lines of essential goods which have either dieappeared from the market or have become very short in supply. Inquiries have been made by the Customs Department and by the Minister, the Hon. W. Nash, into the supply position, and importing organisations have been asked for information regarding shortages. At the same time efforts have been made to ascertain to what extent the Dominion's requirements are exceeded in various classes of imported goods, the indication being that some further cut m supplies is possible. It is understood, however, that there' are few lines in which there is a surplus. Acute Shortage of Matches. At the head of the list of acute shortages are matches, which have presented a supply problem for many months. The scarcity to-day is stated to be greater than ever, due to the prohibition of imports financed by "black market" funds, which had served to ease the position previously. While some increase in the manufacture of New Zealand matches has been recorded, this has been too small to take the place of the large contraction in purchases from overseas. A leading Auckland wholesale merchant sa?d this morning that imports of matches were now only about 15 per cent of normal. The price was being held at a penny a box by the Price Investigation Tribunal, leaving retailers very little margin of profit on the increased cost they were now compelled to pay. Among groceries, one ofthe problems of traders is to obtain cream of tartar, which was formerly purchased largely from Italy, through Britain. The onlv adequate source at present available is the United States, which requires the allocation of dollar funds now ti°htlv controlled by the Government. Other items in short supply include desiccated coconut, .plive oil, raisins and variouskinds of dried fruits. A shortage of canned fish is predicted by the end of the year, when the stocks purchased by black exchange are used up. Clothing Factories' Problem.

In wearing apparel the situation is governed by the supply of cotton and woollen piece goods, of which the market has been short since the early months of import restrictions. To-day the position is aggravated by the effects of the war in delaying and interrupting deliveries. Materials of all kinds for clothing are similarly affected, and although substantial orders have been placed overseas, it is not known when a considerable proportion of these will reach the Dominion. Meanwhile, factories in New Zealand are ncarin.r the end of existing stocks or have already felt the pinch of insufficient supply. Orders from retailer* are reported to be accumulating, and managers are finding it difficult to plan future operations. * Recently the Minister of Customs stated that orders amounting to many millions, under import licensee granted by the Department were uncompleted, and that this created uncertainty in the allocation of sterling funds. In Auckland import licensing has been almost at a standstill for a month or more, and any appeals which come before the Department are bein<r dealt with immediately. Generally, the position of t/ade control is being increasingly overshadowed by the war.