MOTOR REQUIREMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 73, 23 September 1927, Page 6

MOTOR REQUIREMENTS

CAN NEW ZEALAND MEET THEM?

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—ln reply to "AuloprogressV letter in to-night 'Tost" it U a matter for regret that 2191 cars vcro assembled ot Pctonc. AH true New Zealnjiders would have preferred Unit these cars should liuvc had the todies built in New Zealand Ami not merely anscmblcd. I feel sure Unit the workcra of this country will resent the inference Hint the job cannot be done in thio country. Your correspondent states that the price of looally-bmlt bodies precludes their being used. Now, us your correspondent nppears to bo very highly informed, perhnps /£■ "'I 11 T te" lla whether General Motors J.N./.J, Ltd., are prepared to take New Zealand bodies at their (General Motors) J etono cost and give ti contract for a decent number of bodies. If llu;y will do this I feel sure that the bodies can bo built in New Zealand. Certainly, work is just ns essential for American* ns for any others, but why should we provide some of that work to the detriment of our own people? Does the United States reciprocate? No, not if it in at all possible to do without our exports. New Zcahinders wishing to flu to the U.S.A. aro even limited to 100 per year. Fair piny is bonnio piny. I must dispute the statement that Britishers aru jumble to meet our motor requirements. The place they lost whilst they were busy with other matters on the Continent has now been more than regained. "AutoproßiOßK" says that an far as ho is aware 200 to 300 men were employed constantly during the past year at retone. As I. wrote before, that may bo correct, but will ''Auloprogress" answer my previous question ond tell us what is the weekly average of men omployod in the body afi.sembly olono? Your correspondent is not aware that bodies aro being produced in New Zealand at the cost of imported ouch. His ignorance docs not alter facts. Bodies aro being produced in New Zcnlnnd at nn equal cost and quality with imported ones and motor importers are having them built. That the motor-body builders have had protection is true, but. the protection was not of sufficient gtrcnßlh to servo its purpose. Foreign importers preferred pnying the duties imposed, nnd thus provido work for the plants in their own countries rather than help their coiMumcru here by having the bodies built locally and lowering tho prico of their complete job by the saving in duties. Certain importers have steadlaßtly Rot their faces against having any more work than is absolutely necessary done in this country. We nil know that the American business man does not cure what a man's nationality is bo long as tho man produces results, but we all know that tho said American business man is careful :is to whom the results aro produced for. "AiitoprogrcHs" talks glibly of "colossal" duties, but what of tho tariff in the U.S.A.? Is it not a fact the Britinh bodjcn imported into tho States lmvo to pay a duty of 33 1-3 per cent.? In discussing tho body-building industry of Australia, "Autoprogrcss" generalises a great deal. ]Je talks of output and prices, but if bodies aro now being built in New Zealand at imported body pricos must it not follow that given the chance of building the major portion of our requirements the bodybuilders could considerably reduco thoir costs nnd in turn their pnccH? Wo certainly can see further than our garden gates, else we might take the advice of ' Aiitoprogress" to tho women of Him country. If wo followed Mb ndvice we should have uo gardens; we should all bo on tho land; whether wo wcro fitted for it or not, fanners wo should be. ]ji fact, your correspondent's brilliant idea in that we should coose all manufacturing, molco Ilin whole country into farm*, nell our produce to England, and buy our re-quire-menU from another country, and thus help tho workman of that country to return a higlily-pnid position in whatever industry he chooses to follow. Now Zealand bodies aro not more costly than the imported article, and there con be no question an to thn lasting qualities. Any nrKiiment brought forward will never convince the right-thinking inhabitants of this country that wo should import what we can muko oursolves, nnd if the opportunity is offered mnko at a cost fcot greater than that of a similar imported article.—l am etc., MOTHER OP TEN. 22nd September.