PRODUCTION TREBLED

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 30 September 1933, Page 12

PRODUCTION TREBLED

FIGURES FOR 10 YEARS. PROGRESS IN BRITISH INDUSTRY In the 10 years since 1922 the production of motor vehicles in Great Britain has grown from 73, COO to 232,000, or more than trebled. The industry is now supreme in the home market and contributes handsomely to the balance of trade, says the motoring correspondent of the “Morning Post,” London In 1924 imports and exports were practically equal at £9,500,000. Last year imports totalled £2,919,000 and exports £10,226,000, and the number of cars exported showed a 65 per cent, increase over 1931. The annual statistical volume of the “Motor Industry of Great Britain,” published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, shows that private car production last year was 171,244, the highest on record. Commercial vehicles showed a fall owing to restrictive legislation arising out of the Road Traffic Act and the Salter Report. The industry now employs more than 1,000,000 persons. Last .year 1,586,000 motor vehicles paid £69,973,000 in license duties, fuel tax, and local rates on garage space, nearly one-tenth of the national income. Because of the basis of our motor taxation, the British private motorist uses a smaller car—an average of 13 li.p.—than any other national, and it.' costs him in taxation £3O 10s per j annum, a sum only exceeded in Austria, Denmark and Italy. j The British car has a life of seven j and one-fifth years (against eight and j three-quarter years for the average j goods vehicle), and prices have fallen: steadily and continuously ever since i 1924. They are now little more than j half what they were then (59.6 per cent.), without allowing for the much J more complete equipment now included. I