OTAHUHU RESIDENTS ENTERTAINED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 232, 1 October 1929, Page 17

OTAHUHU RESIDENTS ENTERTAINED.

CAR BUILDING IN MANY LANDS,

Over 200 residents of Ofcahuliu and surrounding districts gathered on Saturday evening at Messrs. Paine Brothers' premises, Avenue Road, where a series of films depicting the building of a motor car as carried out at the plants of General Motors in 22 countries _of the world was shown to an appreciative audience. Views of the company's extensive works at Petone, Wellington, were screened, and the building of the new Marquette car shown from the bare chassis through the various phases of assembly until the finished product was, driven off the line under its own power. Mr. Paine, after extending a welcome to their guests, introduced Mr. T. Fahey, sales manager of General Motors, who outlined the operations of the parent organisation throughout the world. He said it was the policy of the company to manufacture as much as possible of the cars sold in each country in that country, using labour and other resources for the purpose, and so helpthe secondary industries to a material extent. At Petone, Mr. Fahey said, the plant covered 5£ acres, with 130,000 square feet of floor space. Over 400 hands were employed, of whom all but two were New Zealanders, In the 2* years of operation, the sum of £1,041,000 had been spent in the Dominion, the works alone representing an investment of £408,000. A silver sheet at the end of the building showed the pictures very clearly, and the operations of workmen carrying out precisely similar work in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, South America, Japan, England,. India, Java, Germany, Denmark, France, Spain, and ten other countries were followed with much interest by all present. The chief scenic attractions of each country and also their big cities were shown and the never-ending stream of cars clearly indicated the now universal vogue of the motor car. A number of musical items and a display by Miss Greenwood and her dancing pupils completed the evening's

entertainment, after which refreshments were served. Mr. T. Clement, Mayor of Otahuhu, thanked Messrs. Paine Brothers for their hospitality and wished them success with the new car.