OPTIMISM IN COVENTRY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26986, 11 March 1953, Page 10

OPTIMISM IN COVENTRY

Engineering Trade Revival Hoped (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, March 10. Optimism is now widespread in the engineering industry in Coventry, where more than half of the working people are engaged in manufacturing cars, motor-cycles, aircraft, and mach-ine-tools, as’ well as parts and accessories for all of these, says the London correspondent of/‘The Times.” "Coventry has experienced abrupt fluctuations of trade lately, but it is now a contrast with the other prosperous engineering towns of the Midlands and Birmingham area where a decline in many sections of engineering production has recently taken place.

“The car industry itself is by no means out of the wood. Employers and trade unionists alike recognise the problems of competing in the buyers’ market abroad against products from Germany and other countries, and in the limited field left by import restrictions.

“They are looking forward anxiously to the Budget in the hope that a reduction in purchase tax or petrol tax will encourage a greater home demand, or that the removal of uncertainty will at least stop potential customers from waiting any longer. “The increased output required to meet greater home demand would, they say. mean more economic production and thus lower prices with which to compete abroad. "They believe <hat prospects of sales in Canada as well as Australia are improving and that the usual winter slackening in sales is nearly over. “Representatives of all ’ the main firms have been travelling the world for orders, and hope that within two or three months short-time working and redundancy may be things of .the past.”