VISIT OF MR. MORRIS

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1928, Page 2

VISIT OF MR. MORRIS

MORE ABOUT BRITISH CARS ENTERTAINMENT BY ROTARIANS. PROMINENT MANUFACTURER. As he was unable to wait for the usual luncheon, Mr. W. R. Morris, of the Morris motor firm, was entertained by the Rotarians at tea in New Plymouth yc-'-rday morning. On behalf of the businessmen of the town president W. J. Penn extended him a hearty welcome. It was difficult for a business man to be away from his business for long, said the Mayor (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths), and they all appreciated th© effort Mr. Morris was making on his present trip, which, he felt ai aired, would do much to strengthen th© bonds of trad© and interest between this outlying Dominion and the Old Country. In th© course of an interesting address, Mr. Morris said he was making a business trip. It was up to them to give this country what it wanted for motor-cars. He did not say this from a monetary point of view. It was not pleasing to them or him to see so many cars tha 1 were not British, but it must be remembered that after the war Britain was refueling, and during that time her competitors were making cars faster than thev had ever made them before. In two years, he added, they would see many more British ears replacing foreign. He was not crying down the foreign machine. Its manufacturers were giving a car to meet conditions, but he felt that at Home they had the men and the brains that gave an engineering job equal to, if not better than, anything else in the world.

BEAUTIFUL NEW ZEALAND. Referring to his trip, Mr. Morris said they had nothing like the palms and ferns of New Zealand in England. It was delightful to com© through the country under such wonderful conditions. “No doubt you want rain,” he said, “but w© have had enough.” They were travelling through the country with their eyes wide open, he continued, and were taking back with them a lot of infer nation. All thev wanted was a hand to pick up the six rears they had lost, and he felt that instead of seeing foreign, they would then see British cars on the roads in large numbers. Mr. Morris was enthusiastic over what he had seen in New Plymouth, and in his praise of the great strides that had been made here in the construction of a harbour. To him it was really wonderful when consideration was given to the age of the town. It was a pretty place and well carried out. He also expressed the keenest admiration of the gardens, especially those of Mrs. Newton King. At Pukekura Park, with all its ferns and wonderful things it was astonishing what had been done in so short a time. People seemed to do things in a short time in this country. They might have the climate to help them, but there had to be the wol'k behind it. The wonderful memories of this place would never leave him, and the sooner he got back here the better, he concluded. THE BRITISH CAR. The business people valued the opportunity of meeting such a captain in British industry, said Mr. C. E. Bellringer, M.P. All wanted to see more British cars on the road. New Zealand’s prosperity was dependent upon the trade she did with England, and it was to the benefit of both to assist in restoring the vitality lost in the depredations of war. It was New Zealand’s policy to endeavour to assist in the development of trade. Regarding roads, Mr. Bellringer briefly outlined the coming of the petrol tax, which would provide £750,000 a year for the upkeep of roads. This, he said, as Mr. Moms had pointed out, would be more than balanced by the saving in running costs. Some interesting remarks regarding the popularity of the British ear, were made by Mr. N. C. Seeman, Mr. Morris’ Australian and N’w Zealand representative. For 18 months, he said, he had heard a great deal of the so-called grievances that British cars were unfit for this country and were most expensive. Properly handled, the British car would give as good performance as, if not better than, other cars. Possibly it would not do a: well on top gear, but no doubt, as Mr. Morris had told them, they would get the car they wanted when he returned. Also a great deal of propaganda had been put about that the English ear needed more service than foreign makes. At the least that was a slight prevarication the truth, supported, Mr. - Seeman said, bv figures which he had got out, showing that the service of other makes was more than double that of English cars. Amorgst those Mr. Morris met was Mr. J. Somerton, who remembered Mr. Morris as a cycle dealer of Oxford, where the great manufacturer originally started entirely without capital, and later as an agent for motor eye’es. Mr. Morris' readily recalled Mr. Somerton to memory and also knew of his uncle, a councillor in Oxford, whose address he noted. When Mr. Somerton first knew Mr. Morris he sold bicycles on the 2s 6d a week system. Mr. Morris left later by motor-car for Wellington, via South Taranaki. He will afterwards visit Australia.