MOTOR INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 118, 19 April 1939, Page 2

MOTOR INDUSTRY.

IMPORT CONTROL POLICY. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 18. Comment on the fact that under the import control scheme so far preference shown to other British industries had not been extended to the motor industry was made in an interview today by Air L. C. Cunningham, of London. The British business people, said Mr Cunningham, were sympathetic with the objective of the Dominion Government. realising the necessity of some action to conserve New Zealand’s London funds. He believed, however, that the objective might have been furthered during the last six months of this year by curtailing imports of foreign and second-hand cars. Second-hand cars bad been brought into New Zealand in increasing quantities in the past few years, but the business was of no real use to the manufacturing industry in Britain or to the established trade in New Zealand. For several years, sa'd Mr Cunningham, the New Zealand Government had urged British motor manufacturers to establish assembly plants in the Dominion. His firm had assisted their distributors, Todd Motors. Ltd.. to comply with the request, and had l>een the first to establish a local plant for the assembly of British cars. Air Cunningham referred to the suggestion that the Government, intended to restrict the imports of motor-cars drastically during the second six months of this year. If that were done. he said, the motor trade would he faced with a number of problems, chiefly in regard to staff, showrooms and plant. All these had been based on the volume of trade average presumablv over the past two years or so. If 40 per cent, of their sales possibility were to be taken «awav from them motor firms, in spite of their desire to look after their employees, might find it very difficult to do so.