Conversion Plan Objected To

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31000, 4 March 1966, Page 14

Conversion Plan Objected To

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, March 3. Government statements about conversion of business machines to meet the new decimal currency needed clarification, speakers said at today’s meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

The president, Mr T. R. Sussex, said the proposed shortened conversion would halve the capacity of many machines. It was significant that it had not been adopted in Australia or South Africa. It seemed that it would involve considerable overseas funds and it became a question, on the one hand, whether the Government could afford the high cost of conversion and, on the other,

whether the business community should have to suffer by having the capacity of their machines reduced.

Mr W. S. Smith, who attended as representative of a company engaged in machine conversion, said decimal currency would bring big savings in the future in the cost of new machines.

The council decided to alert its members to the need to discuss conversion problems with experts and decide whether the shortened conversion would be suitable in their own cases. If not, they should take the subject up with the Government. It was also agreed that the Associated Chambers of Commerce should be asked to approach th-' Government for a clear statement on the position.