TRACTOR IMPORTS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25549, 17 July 1948, Page 6

TRACTOR IMPORTS

SURVEY *OF N.Z.’S NEEDS STATEMENT BY MR R. G. BUCKLETON (P.A.) GISBORNE, July 16. • Mr R. G. Buckleton, chairman of the action committee of Federated Farmers, said in an interview that it was obvious that the Invercargill tractor dealers who said that a big proportion of the tractors and machinery required by farmers could be obtained from sterling sources had either very little knowledge of farmers’' requirements or of British manufacturers’ models. He said a survey being made by his organisation showed the urgent minimum requirements to date as 1340 crawler tractors and 1450 one. three, and four-furrow wheel tractors, 495 pick-up balers, 1362 side delivery rakes and 1948 power mowers. “Britain definitely cannot supply any crawler tractors or pick-up balers, no light one-furrow wheel tractors, and fewer than 100 heavy three and four-furrow wheel tractors,” Mr Buckleton said. “Fewer than 100 side rakes came from Britain last year, and no harvester threshers and corn pickers In iact. we have evidence that Britain is herself importing from dollar sources more equipment of a type similar to requirements than we can. hope to receive for ourselves. We nave given an undertaking to irn* Government that no equipment will be purchased under the proposed credit which can be supplied from sterling sources.” Mr Buckleton said he would draw the attention of Invercargill critics to the formula on which dollar equipment was to be sold, and that for every pound of meat and butter shipped to the United States, from increased production, there would be at least an equivalent increase to go to Britain, which in no other circumstances would it be possible to produce and send her.