Til be back in the race’

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 7

Til be back in the race’

The outgoing Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, spent part of his last full day in office yesterday at two functions in Christchurch. He is due to go to Government House at 2.15 p.m. today with other members of the Executive Council to hand in their warrants of office so that the new Labour Cabinet can be sworn in. Sir Robert, looking relaxed but subdued, commissioned yesterday afternoon a new injection moulding machine at M. O’Brien and Company, Ltd, in Wairakei Road. He was guest speaker last evening at a dinner organised by the Lincoln College Students’ Association. Sir Robert told staff and officials at O’Brien’s that New Zealand footware was among the world’s best and he praised the company’s efforts in taking advantage of the growing sports shoe market. Other footware manufac-

turers could take a leaf from the company’s book and use ingenuity and promotion to persuade people to buy more shoes. ' “If the footware manufacturers extolled the benefits of walking, they would strike a blow for community health, save petrol, and improve their profits — all at one stroke,” he said. When Sir Robert was presented with pairs of running shoes for himself and Lady Muldoon he said that he was “more of a trotting man.” He promised to be “back in the race” in three years. The $1 million Adisorb machine which Sir Robert officially commissioned yesterday is one of the most advanced machines of its type in the world. It will produce a new shock-absor-bent safety running and sports shoe. The German machine has been installed with help from technicians from the Adidas organisation. It can produce 1000 pairs of shoes a day.