MOTOR TRADE CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 221, 18 September 1929, Page 7

MOTOR TRADE CONFERENCE.

HIGHWAYS SUBSIDY. PROTEST AGAINST WITHDRAWAL,,' (By Telegraph—Press Association.)' PALMERSTON N., this day. The motor trades conference carried a' remit from the Te JK.ui.ti branch that an emphatic protest be forwarded to the Government against their action.' in withdrawing £200,000 subsidy from the Highways Board fund, as it is considered a direct breach of faith with motorists, inasmuch as it Mil interfere, with the Highways Board giving expeditious effect to its programme, and also directly opposed to the original promises made when imposing the petrol tax. It was decided to telegraph the remit to a meeting of delegates ,'from local'bodies and' others interested- in highway finance, to be held in Wellington to-morrow. It was reported that-the- benevolent fund, instituted in 1925,' had made little progress until the present year. A credit balance of £5 last year had. been . in- . creased to £98. At the present rate of income it would be some years before'/ it would be possible to operate on the fund unless l the income was substantially, .added to:: - y The technical •• training : scheme was stated to have made substantial progress during the year. The large amount of time and money spent was now beginning to -give- ' s'atisfactbrjr results. Classes were now in operation at Auckland, New .Plymouth,,. Wellington, Christehufch, Timafu," "Oa'maru and Invercargill, with a prospect of one commencing at Wanganui. In all, 350 boys in ihe moior trad© were being trained each year. A number were .•turned out capable of taking up impor-. tarit positions.j'inthe motor.' trade, .ihl*', committee hopes.that in- the.next ,two, years' the number- -will be < doubled. ■ 'The'time Tiad arrived when it was necessary to provide a regular soufcse of income, and- £700 per annum was required. The/ committee recommendssubscriptions per member per annum to. provide this amount. :