GARRIAGE BUILDERS' CONVENTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 14 April 1914, Page 5

GARRIAGE BUILDERS' CONVENTION

REVISION OF CUSTOMS TARIFF URGED. (United Pbess Association.) AUCKLAND. April 13. The convention of the New Zealand National Association of Carriage Builders and Wheelwrights, this morning-xe-ceived a deputation which urged that steps be taken to have the duty on motor car bodies increased. Several communications that were laid before the convention indicated that there was a concensus of opinion among the employees and employers in the coach working industry, that an increase in duty on motor car bodies (which can be made in the Dominion) was equitable and even essential, if the trade of carriage building was to continue to' exist as a trade. A resolution was unanimously adopted setting forth the opinion that the time was now opportune, and, that in the interests of the carriage building trade the Customs tariff should be revised. Mr W. Atkin, Auckland, in pointing ont the need for protection, said that water carriage was the cheapest means of conye.yance, hence our butter, cheese, frozen, nieat. etc., could compete in the world's markets 16,000 miles away. He added that this assisted also in the matter of freights on our raw materials, but per contra the freight on the buggy from New York, was about the same as by rail from Auckland to Hamilton, a distance of 85 miles.