BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20419, 14 December 1931, Page 12

BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY.

WHAT IT MEANS TO THE EMPIRE. NEW ZEALAND COMMENCES TO DO HER PART. (Contributed.) Despite world conditions, the British motor industry is in a flourishing condition. It is now fourth in importance in the whole of Great Britain's industries, and may assume a place of even greater importance in the near future. A few years ago the more - popular makes of massed produced foreign cars almost jostled .the British product off the roads. To-day, actually 95 per cent, of the Home market is supplied by British, factories. What the industry may become now depends" largely on the loyalty and commonsense of Britons, not only at Home but also in the Dominions overseas. The motor factories of Great Britain, with characteristic British thoroughness, are now catering for overseas markets with a vengeance. Overseas orders placed at Olympia included such widespread countries as Australia, New Zealand, Lithuania, the Gold Coast, and Uganda. There are much sounder reasons for the improvement in the British motor trade than the temporary! advantage gained by Great Britain's abandonment, of the gold standard. During the ,past year or two, the British motor-car industry has been putting rationalisation into practice, while other industries have been talking about it. Plant has been overhauled; .programmes have been modified; interests have been amalgamated. Employing 206,000. Altogether the industry employs 206,000 people and is indirectly responsible for the employment of many thousands more. Its advance in the markets of the world is undoubtedly of national interest and importance. A prosperous motor industry brings prosperity in scores of subsidiary industries. Iron and steel reap the greatest benefit, but rubber, timber, glass, leather, cotton, nickel, and tin take a considerable share, to mention only some of the commodities of which tho industry is an important consumer. What it Means to New Zealand. New Zealand is turning very rapidly to Great Britain for her cars for several very good reasons. The first of these is that Great Britain is now producing cars and trucks of greater value for money than .those of any other country in the world. They are not only more highly efficient and economical,, but they have a greater degree of finish and longer life. When the Briton sets his mind to do something ho does it properly. 1 Then, again, a 1 great number of' New i Zealanders have; already realised—and others:>vill Teialisc shortly-*—that we are directly" concerned with the prosperity of Grea't Britain. She cannot . continue to buy from us unless we buy from her. Anv action calculated to weaken our trade with Great Britain imperils our own safety. On the other hand, every British—genuine British—-car sold in New Zealand means two or three more people back in employment in -Great Britain—more people to buy our primary produce' and so help the Dominion on the road to prosperity. This Dominion is , not yet doing her utmost to help 'herself by buying all her motor requirements froni Great Britain. True, the sales of British cars have improved immensely, but there is still room for further improvement. Note the following "percentages of total sales in the first nine months of 1931: Per cent. ■ January j . • • February . •• 47-900 March . • April • • • • oo'm7 MnV .. •• June ■ •• •• 31.800. July .. .. 31.100 - August .. ,•• 34.900 September > • • • 39.370 "The Writing on the Wall." But there it is—the writing on the wall. We must buy more from Great Britain if she is to buy more from us. The trade of Great Britain is our lite and strength. As her sea tides rise and fall, like, the steady breathing ot Mother Ocean, so they rise and fall in New Zealand. A strong Britain means not only a strong Empire, but a sate New Zealand.. The most rudimentaiy laws of self-preservation, if nothing else, should assure that we do nothing to deplete that strength, nothing tcr drain a\yay the life flow from Great Britain's arteries of trade. Never before has our Homeland needed our pupport as much as she does now. NELSON APPLE 'CROP. EFFECT OF DRY CONDITIONS. "Generally speaking, orchards in the Nelson uroa are looking particularly well." said Mr J. Thorp, orchard instructor, wlien interviewed last week. Owing to the dry weather, the natural fruit-shc*d has been rather heavier in some places than is usual, but the drop has practical ly ceased now. The drought conditions do not as yet appear to have affected the sizing of the fruit, but it ia anticipated that if the present dry weather conditions continue for a lengthy period, the size of the fruit may suffer in-consequence. The one benefit derived from the dry weather is in connexion with fungus diseases Black spot is hard to find on any variety and the danger froin this disease should now be over. Apples affected by codlin moth can be found and unless preventive measures sre regularly adopted, more fruit may be lost from this cause. In some orchards trees are perceptibly affected by red mite, which is likely to be very prevalent right up to picking time, and every endeavour should be made by growers to keep the pest in check. Difficulty is being experienced by many orchardists in obtaining water for spraying purposes, and it is being carted quite long distances. "Should favourable weather conditions te experienced between now and picking time," conclude 4Mr Thorp, "the crop should be up to expectations: but it is difficult to anticipate what effect the dry weather may nave should it continue." PRICE OF SILVER. (BUTISB OmCIAL WIBBLZSB.) (Received December 13th, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, December l'l. Silver is quoted as follows: Spot: 20 7-16 d an ounce. Forward.: 20|d an. ounce*