Difficulty With Safety Frames

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31576, 13 January 1968, Page 9

Difficulty With Safety Frames

Finding he could not obtain a safety frame for a well-known make of tractor, a North Canterbury farmer sent for one from the North Island. But on arrival it was minus some essential parts, and when fitted, the bonnet of the tractor could not be lifted. Mr P. Bush, of Parnassus, writes:— “The slow response of farmers to appeals to fit safety frames might not entirely be due to their reluctance to do so. For some months I have been trying to get frames for two models of a well-known make of tractor. “First, the master agents, having told me that frames were available for all their models, could not supply for one, and sent up a frame that did not fit for the other. Finally, they admitted that they could not supply frames for either machine. “Then I had frames sent from a North Island firm that makes English frames under licence. These arrived minus some essential parts. Having obtained the parts we found that with the frame fitted, the bonnet could not be raised. “I have discussed this with

the Canterbury agent for) these frames, who said he had had so much trouble fitting them, due to careless dispatching and manufacture that he does not handle them any more if he can avoid it, which shows that my case is not unique. “This sort of thing is no encouragement to fit frames, and let us have no more leading articles on the subject until the manufacturers can supply us with frames that fit our tractors.” In a covering note to “The Press" Mr Bush expressed concern that situations should arise which would discourage farmers from fitting safety frames. The carelessness with which these frames were sent but was typical of New Zealand's protected industries, he stated. Frames were not yet available for all tractors, and inquiries from the tractor firms for frames were met with indifference.