AN IMPARTIAL ENQUIRY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9020, 5 February 1895, Page 5

AN IMPARTIAL ENQUIRY.

ARE THEY PROPERLY SUPPORTED!

(By Ocr Special Reporter.) No. IX.—THE CYCLE INDUSTRY. It appears that when it was stated that there were no cycle importers it was not correct. On the appearance of the article dealing with the cycle industry, Mr Cuunington, who imports the Orion cycle, intimated his desire to have an interview from the importer's point of view. Accordingly, on Saturday last an interview on the subject was had with him, and what he says is given below. THE CASE FOR THE IMPORTER, "In the article with reference to oycles," , said Mr Cunnington, " the local manufacturers either do not know or do not care to admit that machines of the highest quality and finish are constantly being imported from England, owing to the superior advantages possessed by the English makers over the local ones. These include, amongst others, advantages in the matter of machinery, lower wages, material always to hand instead of having to be brought from a distance, and first-cksa labour. This enables the first-class English maohine to be sold, as they are being done, at a lower price than the local article can be. I have had numerous cases in which the cycle riders have imported machines from home rather than use the locally-made machines. We sell machines far superior to the £23 10s machine the local makers talk about, at £19 103, so that it will be seen that so far as the beat English machines are concerned, they are cheaper than the colonially-made. I have no wish as a colonist to disparage colonial manufactures, but the fact remains that I have cycle riders coming to mc and saying that they do not want a colonial j machine but an English one. That is after i their experience of the colonial machines. In England you will find that there are special factories for the production of the' different parts of the machine. For instance, one will manufacture spokes, another tyres, another saddles, and so on. They also have the- very latest finishing machinery and the most expert engineers for designing. This, of course, as you know, we have not got yet in the colony. We are nob yet advanced sufficiently for this to be the case. , For these reasons it is evident that the best maohines made in the colony cannot Compete so far as manuiactuie is concerned with the English made ones."