LICENCE REFUSED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 January 1939, Page 4

LICENCE REFUSED

ESSENTIAL RAW MATERIALS. MANUFACTURER MAY HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Refused licences to import raw materials essential in their business, C. H. Harris and Co., Wellington, hearth furniture and art metal manufacturers, will be forced to close down unless an appeal to the Minister of Customs is successful or unless they are able to obtain supplies through some other firm, which may have been granted a licence where they have been refused. If the firm closes down 15 employers will be thrown out of work.

The manager, Mr H. R. Harris, said yesterday that he had applied for licences to import £lOO of sheet iron from the United Kingdom, £lOO worth of sheet brass and stripped brass from the United Kingdom, £250 worth of sheet brass and stripped brass from Germany, and £l5O worth of hearth companion sets from the United Kingdom. He had been granted a licence' to import £l5 worth of sheet iron from the United Kingdom. Everything else has been refused.' “I can’t understand the decision,” said Mr Harris. “I might possibly understand their refusing the German, line, but why the British? The material is not made in New Zealand. We may be able to get brass through some other firm, if any other firm succeeds in getting a licence, but we will certainly not be able to get sheet iron—and the £l5 worth allowed us is absolutely useless. If we are unable to get supplies we will have to close down and 15 men will be out of work.”