USE OF MOTOR-CARS

Southland Times, Issue 23182, 24 April 1937, Page 20

USE OF MOTOR-CARS

NEW ZEALAND POSITION The export markets give encouragement for the anticipated expansion of the British home market, writes Lord Austin in the “Birmingham Gazette.” He adds that “although we have more cars per mile of road than any other country, Great Britain is the most backward among the English-speaking nations in the use / motor transport on a population basis. The user ratio of motor-vehicles in other countries is stated to be approximately as follows: —

“It will be seen, therefore (states Lord Austin), that in order to approach the percentages of our own Dominions, even allowing fot their high standard of living, we ought to double the number of motor-cars here. By the time this is an accomplished fact perhaps the Ministry of Transport will have evolved an adequate road system. “Obviously we are a long way from the mythical ‘saturation point’ which some statisticians have predicted at regular intervals for many years past. I believe transport to be the greatest civilizing force at the disposal of mankind and if properly applied the greatest influence for peace and better understanding between communities and-’ nations that the world has ever enjoyed.”

America 1 car to 5 people New Zealand 1 car to 8 people South Africa 1 car to 9 people Canada 1 car to 10 people Australia 1 car to 11 people Great Britain 1 car to 25 people