NO LICENCES FOR BABIES' CLOTHING

Chronicle (Levin), 4 August 1947, Page 7

NO LICENCES FOR BABIES' CLOTHING

» • WELLINGTON, August 3V . ( 'onsidcrable alarm was expressed at a reccut meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Retailers' Federation at the actions of the Customs Department in refusing to grant additional licences for the importation of sucli items as babies' shawls, woollen iricce goods, linen table cloths, women 's woollen underwear, negligee shirts, cups and saueers, etc., states a report issued by the Federation. It was reported tliat sihce the beginning of July additional licences based on evidence of availabilit.v have been refused, presumably in antieipation of the release of the 1948 import scliedule. While appreciating the fact that the issue of the 1948 schedule cannot be long delaved the statement adds: "At the sauie* time the Federation cannol understand the Department refusing to: grant licences for snch essential items as babies' shawls, woolien piece goods; and women 's woollen underwear, the supplv of which is so critically short.' Offers of these goods must be accepted witliout delay and every opportunity to obtain supplies must be taken advantage of. The Federation feels that some provision should be made to allow the acceptance of these goods. "fciiuce the recent announcenient in the House regarding the suggested early arrival of babv wool every re-' tailer in the country has been inun-. dated with orders. Unfortunately many women vvi'll .be disaiipointed. While it is true that a- quai^ity of baby wool is, expected 011 the Brisfiane' Staf, this ship is uot scheduled tq'- arrive in Wellington until about August 31. .Some 10 to 12 daj-s must then elapse before delivery will be made from wharf to warehouse. Then it will take four to live weeks for orders to be sorted and despatclied' to retailers all over the country. "It can, therefore, be seen that it ma.v not be until the first week in ; October that supplies will be available to the public. Retailers throughout the country have been requested to give priority to purchasers holding supplementary ration boqlts and thus allow mothevs with children the first opportunity to obtain whatever supplies of white wool become nvnilnble, " the. . stntomont concludes,