ELECTRICAL GOODS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 233, 29 June 1944, Page 3

ELECTRICAL GOODS

Restricted Manufacture For Civilian Use A restricted and controlled programme for the manufacture, aud sale of certain electrical goods will be carried out by New Zealand manufacturers during 194445, to meet essential civilian requiremenls for housing and replacement purposes. The programme, which has been drawn up within the limits imposed by the electric power resources and the supply of imported raw materials, represents a partial easement of the ban placed on the manufacture and sale of a wide range of electrical appliances toward the end of 1942 by the Factory Controller, Mr. G. A. Pascoe. Arranged to cover house building, and such replacements as are absolutely necessary for (he next 12 months, the programme, it is stated, precludes any possible interference with munitions production in many of the factories concerned. The schedule was adopted at a series of conferences held Hn Wellington recently under the auspices of the Isew Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation between representatives of the electrical manufacturers concerned and the Factory, Munitions and Building Controllers.

Acording to information supplied by the secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, electric ranges will form the largest portion ot the programme for the year, and seven-eighths of the whole -output of ranges will be used in new houses built by the State and privately, and the remaining eighth for the replacement where necessary of existing domestic units. In all cases the ranges will be standard domestic units, nnd no provision in the meantime is made, due to the power and raw material conditions, for the smaller plug-in types. Other manufactures will be a limited number of' washing-machines, irons, jugs, and kettles, water-heating elements of the type used in the cylinders of domestic hotwater services, and a very quantity of radiators and refrigerators. Special attention will be given to the requirements of rural areas.

The manufacturers are stated to have voluntarily divided the production equitable among themselves for a period ending on March 31, 1945. These goods will be sold meantime under control by the Factory Controller and the power supply authorities throughout the Dominion and sales will be made under permit through 'normal trade channels. Radiators particularly will be strictly controlled in the meantime, and the previous restriction of their sale only to military hospitals and similar organizations, except for replacements, will remain in force. , . Though the Controller of Munitions. Mr. W. G. N. Colquhoun, considered that the restricted production did not appear likely to impinge on munitions contracts, the manufacturers gave a voluntary undertaking that should any one of their individual allocations affect munitions production, it would be abandoned in favour of war work. Should a manufacturer's production quota be abandoned under these circumstances,, his share — should there be no jwssiliilit.v of his overhauling it—will he redistributed among the otjiers in his manufacturing group. Arrangements have been made by the Factory Controller for the programme to be expanded if possible. Accordingly, he will review the position at intervals, as the supply of critical -materials varies and munitions contracts cease.