MANUFACTURE ABANDONED

Opunake Times, 29 August 1947, Page 4

MANUFACTURE ABANDONED

NUFFIELD TRACTORS STEEL SHORTAGES Lord Nuffield has abandoned the manufacture of the Nuffield farm tractor and its associated implements because of the shortage of steel in Britain. It had been hoped to produce 20,000 in the first year and to give employment to thousands of workers. Sir Miles Thomas, vicC'cliaicman of the Nuffield Organisation, said: "There does not exist at the present time sufficient capacity for the production of steel and cast-iron components in Britaiu to support this important project on the scale warranted. "We are well satisfied with the performance of the prototype machines we have built find tested. We had hoped to make 20,000 in the first year and ship a sizeable quota abroad. "But the raw material background simply is not there. It is just another symptom of coal starvation, and is a sad commentary on the present industrial anaemia of the country. "It does not mean that an? employees will have to be stood off, but it does mean tb-vt there will not be any opening up, bringing with it additional prosperity and additional dollars from overseas."