BRITAIN’S TRADE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10303, 14 June 1927, Page 5

BRITAIN’S TRADE

MOTOR CARS FRO At OLD 1

'(JOHVEK V,

ELOQUENT ADDRESS BY SIR A

130 VD* UakReNTER

NATION’S HEAVY BURDENS SINCE .lull.

ENG LAND 'PREFERRED HONOR TO SELF-SEEKING.

APPEAL FOR CLOSER. UNITY

WELLINGTON, June U

A. dinner was tendered the. British Motor Trade; D'eloganon to-night .by the. Association oi . British Manufacturers and Agents. '.the president, who proposed tiie toast oi “Our Guests/’ said • the question of freights was one of the most important that had to be faced m connection with the Home trade, as it'affected not only British manufactures, bub also the price of trie Dominion’s produce, and in that respect tiio Empire's competitors had an advantage and •there. was something wrong, tie understood that England was to-day working in regard to the resolution of the motor car of the luture on trie most up-tod ate lines, Road construction, taxation, and general economic* conditions all conic into the question of the making and turning out of a useful light car.— pH-car, hoar.) That was wont the New Zealand conditions required. Eng mud was last recovering nor position m the motor cycle trade, and ho uoped the same remark would soon apply to the light motor cars, run position was not a good one. . She was getting over the troubles .oi trie war, and she was starting to-day as well equipped as possible m trie work of recovering and maintaining a lid! share of the trade in the manufacture of motor vehicles. Tiie l’i'ime Minister extended greetings on helm if of the* Alaori race. During his inquiries at Home, In said he had not concerned himself so much with the question as io what type of machine' was suitable' for New Zealand, as to whether the JSritish manufacturers were interested in our requirements. There were about eb'o.Ud!) registered motor vehicles in the iiominiou, and on a population basis that was a iairly largo number. Air Uoates referred to tiie great, vindex the United Kingdom ban made in the exportation of electrical machinery since the war, and, notwithstanding the Homeric diificulties .-iie had encountered, Britain was still the greatest trading country ill die world.—(Applause'.) New Zealand would do tier share towards maintaining .Britain’s superiority. Many reasons were given why American cars had got the lead in New Zealand, but lie was now sure that there were British cars equally as

j.ood as tiie American. Aianniacturers required to move steadily in Hu matter. The delegation would go homo and would he able to tell then principals the exact position am what kind of car was required, but the price was the governing {actor, lhcv would not. go on any longer doing trade .with .people who did no; reciprocate. The more numiy sent, to the Old Country the more (he people there would ho aide to take New Zealand produce, for which England lias still the host market. s!

Regarding the position of the British car manufacture . Kir Aivliibahi Boyd Carpenter alfinn'cd that before trie war the English people Imd bee; greatly hampered by the excessive taxation levelled on the community Who was responsible for that burden ho would not indicate, hut tin' fact was there, and alter the outbreak of war England was still mere heavily handicapped and taxed, and her factories had to he devoted to 'munition making and guns, and I lien .England’s competitors took advantage of their opportunity, and obtained the markets that had hitherto hern hers. After the war the "urdens became almost insuperable, and England then had to pay hack what had been borrowed to help the Allies, hut she had her honor at stake, and she shouldered the responsibility o) paying back money borrowed to finance nations that otherwise would have had to co down. Recounting'" the subsequent troubles due to strikes. Sir A. Loyd Carpenter stated that that splendid little island from which they had ah sprung had only had lor the lust time last vear an adserec national budget. Let them take counsel together. but try and understand one another’s diificulties. and thus obviate what might otherwise come about —a diminution of the standard of living—a tiling which no portioi af the British Empire could a fiord I<contemplate. It would, be a pos.-.ibil-.iy that might cause them almost to regard the end oi the world as drawing near. H might mean the accession to power of loots who would ■•aTo no regard lor the-well-being o, the people in the far-hung dominions Let them pray that out of God's providence 1 they' .would get close together. because the common weal o'the Empire depended on it, British inter-imperial trade was a burning question, and must be faced. Mho); it came to tiio iiiutl tost ituGlaiui li<u n referred honor to self-seeking two imd let lmr trade go in order that her ideals might finally triumph.---P.A.