POWER BOARD’S CARS.

Southland Times, Issue 21428, 24 June 1931, Page 3

POWER BOARD’S CARS.

To the Editor.

Sir, —In reply to “Surprised” letter concerning the buying of American cars by the Power Board, I may state that if “Surprised" has had the experience of driving and looking after the above board’s cars for the last eight or nine years he would be fully conv.uced that the board has not made a mistake in purchasing the American car. As far as I understand the board had intended to go in for English cars of a certain make and to that end purchased two or three and handed them out to. careful drivers, but alas, they would not stand up to the work they were called on to do and were cbntinually breaking down. At the same time the board had bought an American car and this car has done over 36,000 miles Without having had any repairs at all done to it, and I may state that they were all on the same kind of work.

His statement that it will become known in Britain what the board has done. Well also let it be known in Britain that this Power Board .cost very nearly’ £2,000,000 and practically all material that was used

for building the board, machinery etc., was bought in Britain. The day is past when we should buy on sympathy.’ It is up to the English manufacturer to give us what we w&nt, as the Yanks do, not what he’s got. There is a big field here for the English manufacturer if he will only come down off his high pedestal and cater for our requirements. “Surprised’s” statements of Britain buying our produce are interesting. I don’t think Britain would bother much about us if she could get as good meat, butter, etc., elsewhere cheaper than what she buys off New Zealand. Is it not a fact that the English farmer cannot put his butter on the market for less than .2/- per lb., where as we send it 13,000 miles and can put it on at much less per lb. Then again the heart of the British Oak (the Army and Navy) buys most of its food requirements from the Argentine. Why ? Because they get it for Id per lb. cheaper. I presume the English people are the same as us. If so it is only natural they will buy the cheapest when all things are equal. “Surprised” can take it from me that the board members know what they are about. They, as well as all the employees, are economizing and studying the ratepayers’ interest more than the general public know. —I am, etc., “SENSIBLE."