IMPORTS PROBLEM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1939, Page 4

IMPORTS PROBLEM

OBSERVATIONS BV PREMIER

NEED OF BETTER BALANCE. CONSERVATION OF OVERSEAS CREDITS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Confirmation of Press reports that he was quite willing to attend a Dominion conference of importers to discuss problems arising from the new import regulations was given by the Minister of Customs, Mr Nash, in reply to an inquiry yesterday. Mr Nash said some of the importers had suggested a conference and he had said he was quite willing to attend if they cared to arrange a meeting. The proposed conference was also referred to by the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, in an interview last evening. There was nothing to be lost by discussing such things, he said. "There is no royal road to success, and I do not think anyone has any monopoly of intelligence when it comes to considering external trade,” the Prime Minister said. “It is remarkable the number of people who think that every item of detail in connection, with the control of external trade should have been known by the Government before any step was taken. "It would be a wise Government, indeed, that knew all that . This Government was wise enough to know that unless some steps were taken our external trade would have been hampered in any case because our credits overseas would have disappeared,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that whatever assistance the Government could get from the importers or from anyone else it would be glad to get. The Government did not mind criticism, and if that criticism was constructive it would be all the more valuable.

"If anybody tells us that we should go on during the next three years as we have been during the last all I can say is that we want better advice than that,” Mr Savage added. We have to have a better balance in industry and do more in the way of producing consumable goods. If the manufacturers are given a chance —and we arc giving them a chance —I am sure they will do the job. The transformation cannot be made over a weekend. It will take time.”