British Crawler Tractors Coming

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 79, 9 August 1948, Page 5

British Crawler Tractors Coming

DOMINION FARMERS NOT IMPRESSED Wellington, August 6. Promises of ample supplies of efficient, British crawler tractors next year raised little interest among delegates at last week’s annual Dominion Conference of Federated Farmers. At a special meeting one evening of heavy tractor users, it was made clear that farmers claimed for themselves the right to be able to buy proved tractors of known efficiency standards. They would brook no interference from either bureaucrats or importers, nor would they pay the inflated prices British importers were asking for - new and untried models. The fact that Great Britain herself found it necessary to import so many crawler tractors from the U.S.A. was considered evidence of the lack of Britain’s heavy tractor output and ample additional evidence was on hand to show the preference which British farmers themselves showed for the heavy American vehicles over the new and unproven home-produced jobs. The meeting felt it would be wholly contrary to the expansion of farming in New Zealand if farmers were forced to buy high-priced, untested British crawler tractors which on showing to date were not suitable for New Zealand conditions. Every satisfaction was expressed at the meeting with the British twofurrow tractor, although considerable criticism was levelled at the prices charged. In the heavy class, the demand was definitely for the American vehicle. Information received within the last month from Britain and supplied to the meeting indicated that one British manufacturing concern claiming a high potential output for next year including supplies to New Zealand was in June, only then experimenting with the adaptation of its normal wheeled machine to a half track job. Only then was consideration being given to the production of a prototype on full tracks for the existing model. Delegates felt that such evidence was sufficient indication of Britain’s Status in the manufacture of heavy tractors. It is yet an industry, undeveloped and untried and New Zealand farmers preferred not to be the “guinea-pigs” for practical ‘experimentation. Mr R. G. Buckleton, Chairman of the Action Committee, said that farmers claimed for themselves the same right as did the Public Works Department to buy the tractors and farm equipment which best suited them without interference from either bureaucratic or vested inter-, ests.