EXHIBITION PRAISED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19092, 10 August 1925, Page 11

EXHIBITION PRAISED.

THE OPENING CEREMONY.

DOMINION'S RATIO OF CARS,

" FOURTH IN THE WORLD."

| The official opening ceremony of the Motor Olympia took placo at eight o'clock on Saturday evening, when brief speeches were given. • Mr. G. M. White, president of the Auckland Motor Trade Association, who presided, thanked the Harbour Board for the use of the sheds, without which tho exhibition could nob have been held. Mr. J. F. Cousins, general secretary and organiser of the New Zealand Motor Tiado Association, made eulogistic reference to tho exhibition, which he described as being as good as any south of the line. At tho last year's exhibition there was something said about tho ■ small number of English cars. He had great pleasure in saying that this year the position had been very greatly improved. There were on view 24 different makes of American cars and 17 different makes from the United Kingdom. That was a great step forward. It was not peculiar to the Auckland exhibition, but it represented the position in New Zealand to-day. In 1923 tho proportion of English cars imported into New Zealand was 4 per cent., in 1924 it was 6A per cent., and for the first six months of 1925 it had risen to 15A per cent. That was a foature which motor traders were very pleased to announce and whether it further improved depended on the people of New Zealand. It had been asked what was the need for a separate motor show and why could not motors be exhibited at an ordinary winter show. The present exhibition was the answer. One could walk the length of the sheds and find them filled to overflowing with motors only. As motor traders they had gathered those exhibits from all parts of the world. "We claim," continued Mr. Cousins, ''that wo do not stand second to anybody in the matter of sales, and we have put New Zealand in a foremost position on the automobile map. New Zealand today stands fourth on the list of countries for the percentage of cars to tho population and that is a compliment to our salesmanship." Mr. H. R. Mackenzie, chairman of the Harbour Board, in referring to the claim that the show was tho finest ever held in Australasia, said that all would agreo with him that it was indeed a wonderful one, and proved to what a high standard tho motor industry had risen. Ho was pleased to hear of the growing popularity of tho English cars and was satisfied that when tho British manufacturer made a suitable car and sold it at a suitable price 50 per cent, of tho cars would como from the United Kingdom. Last year, 3862 cars and 1033 trucks, valued at £900,000, were landed on the Auckland wharves. For every vehicle landed at tho wharves tho Harbour Board got 23s for wharfage and crane hiro, so that members of the board looked with a kindly ovo on the motor traders of Auckland. (Laughter. J It had been said that there was one motorcar to every 11 persons in New Zealand. He was one of tnose who did not own a car, but with tho other nine got a lot of exercise in dodging the roughriders of tho City of Auckland. (Laughter.) With reforence to American trade, he had noticed tho remarks of tho American consul that attempts might bo made to balance tho volumo of trade more to the favour of New Zealand. He was quite sure that if motor traders advertised New Zealand and its products, the country would in time bo able to export what she now bought from other countries. Mr. Mackenzie congratulated the Motor Trad© Association on tho exhibition, which ho then declared open.