MORE FACTORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 71, 25 March 1941, Page 8

MORE FACTORIES.

GROWTH OF INDUSTRY

BODY BUILDING SUFFERS.

Interesting statistics rel.ithc to the growth of industry in New Zealand during the past year, factory output and other aspects of productions were gi\en in the annual report of the Now Zealand Motor Body Builder.*' Association, which was presented at the opening of the 1941 conference this morning. It was shown that there had been substantial increases in the number of establishments, the number of einplovecs. in salaries paid, in material costs," and in the value of the production.

In 1937-3S there were .">1)24 establishments, employing 1U2..J44 ]>ersons In 1939-40 there were ti.S42 establishments employing )0 5.722 persons. Salaries and via-es had r>en from £20.9S 1 ~->B7 to £24.4tit1,.)49. including amounts drawn hv working proprietors. ( „st ~f material's used had risen from £7.">.054,17:{ to £M.941,4(17. Value of products had risen from £11.1.»i91t,, £129.11t>1 S-'G from i.is.bll, ..jh.j i„ 1937.;{, st,,s t ,, £44.1^1,419.

\ allies of hind and buildings had risen trom X'2."),.-)7.i.741 to .t25..V14.177. and plant and machinery values had risen from 4J47.1ti4.05l to ,t'.)2,(>29,29S Sectional Comparison. Commenting .>ll the rise in figures generaUv in the |«a*t vcair (HKW-40) ilfi cyinparcd with 19. iS .S9, the report draws also an interesting comparison between the figures for factory production as a whole, rom|>a red with those for t.lne coach ami motor body building section.

It is interesting to note, it states, that while the number of |>ei>oiis enpa-od oil the whole has increased bv G per wnt. t'here lias been a decrease in the coach and motor body building industry to the extent of 1107, and likewise whilst salaries and wages have Increased in general in factories throughout the f Dominion, there has l>eon a decrease in the ooaoh build in? and motor ciigiiiccriii"industry to the extent of £240..">29.

The eo?t of materials u*cd in the coaohbnilding and engineering industrv has decreased in value to the extent of •€1«>4,1t57. Decreases have al>o taken place iu the value of output to the extent of £tM9.4oti.

Grouped iu the order of magnitude of principal industries covered by the factory production statistics for 1930-40, the motor 'body building ami engineering industry again ranks second in tho mini' 1 bcr of persons engaged, third in the amount of salaries and wages pnid, .and fifth in the value of products, bcinj: displaced this year 'by t'he sa wmilling; butter and cheese, meat freezing, electrical supply and sawivilling industries occupying tlie first, second, third and fourth positions respectively in the value of their productions. I

Drop in Imports. Dealing with other aspects of the Dominion's economy having reflection on tho motor body building industry, the report showed that there had been a considerable drop in the yield from Customs and motor vehicles taxation. Motor vehicles licensed at December 31. 1940, were 305,034. of which 212.199 were motor cars. This represented a decrease of 3011 in the number of motor cars and an increase of 131 in other vehicles when compared with those registered on December 31. 1939.

The quantity of motor spirit released from bond during the year ended December 31. 1940. was 53*.7«3.000 gallons. When compared with the 99.990.000 gallons released in 1939, a decrease of lfi.l per cent was shown. The restrictions imposed during the second half of 1940 were much more sereve than during the earlier period. In the January-June period 47.288.000 gallons were released, as compared with 3fi.47r>,000 in the July-December period. This latter figure represented a decrease of 22.4 per cent as compared with the quantity released for the corresponding period of 1939. '

Figures supplied by the Customs Department showed that in 1940 onlv 73 assembled passenger vehicles and "four commercial vehicles were imported. Importations of passenger vehicles, completely knocked down, in that year totalled 4967; commercial vehicles in the same category totalled 1107.