IMPORT LICENCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1940, Page 5

IMPORT LICENCES

DELAY CAUSING CONCERN “DELIBERATE HOLDING OVER.” LACK OF STERLING FUNDS. Reference to the serious delay in the issue of import licences was made today by Mr J. H. Cunningham, general manager of the W.F.C.A., Ltd, when making some observations on the position in which firms were placed. “There has been a tremendous delay in the issue of third period licences,” said Mr Cunningham. “We received a batch just before Easter but applications have been held up for months. There appears to have been a deliberate holding over of all licences for some considerable time, possibly because the sterling funds were not available.”

Mr Cunningham said a most extraordinary position existed in some respects. He gave an instance in which an application to import vacuum flasks had been refused. This article was not manufactured in New Zealand. It was a British-produced article, which was an essential one and yet for no reason at all the firm’s application had been declined. An appeal had been lodged in respect to this decision. Mr Cunningham added that in addition to the delay in the issue of licences there was a tremendous delay in the delivery of goods from England. As a case in point, goods had just been received which should have come to. hand, six months ago.