BRITISH CARS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 20

BRITISH CARS.

NEW ZEALAND IMPORTS. STATEMENT BY MR FORBES. (ntou OTTO own COHRmSPONDEKT.) LONDON, October '23. At the dinner given by the Motor Manufacturers and Traders, at Connaught Booms, on Wednesday night, Mr Forbes had an opportunity of placiug before the trade, the position in New Zealand with Tcgard to the purchase of motor vehicles. Sir R. Squires (Premier of Newfoundland), Mr J. H. Thomas, and Sir James Parr were the other principal guests. Mr Thomas said he was not sure whether the system of motor taxation in Great Britain was not a contributory factor to the difficulties with which tho industry was faced. "Wo must try to see whether, by a change in tho method of imposing that taxation, v\ r e can release the industry from a handicap that will enable it to capture tho foreign markets," he added. Sir Herbert Austin proposed the toast, of the Imperial Conference, and said that a quick decision would have to be reached on preferences and Empire trade. Owing to Britain's concentration upon the war at a critical period in the development of the motor industry, said Mr Forbes, the last few years had found her far in the rear as a supplier of the world's requirements; in motor vehicles. Now it was pleasing to know she was regaining lost ground. "There is still much ground to be recovered —even within the British Empire," continued the New Zealand Premier. "In the Review of the External Trade of the United States for 1928 (by the U.S.A. Department of Overseas Trade), it is there stated that 117,689 American cars out of a total of 278,742 found a market within the Dominions and Possessions of the British Empire. So far as important sections of the British Empire are concerned, this trade has been done in the face of heavy preferential import duties. Position in New Zealand. "Taking the case of my own Dominion, the imports of motor vehicles for 1929 were valued at £4,278,924 (besides motor-bicycles and tricycles, tyres and parts), an increase over tho previous year's imports of £2,7(56,919. According to an analysis by the Now Zealand Motor Trades Association, the percentage of United Kingdom cars imported into the Dominion in 1929 was nearly 18 per cent, of the whole, as against 14i per cent, in 102 S. Canada contributed 46 per cent, and the United States 364 per cent. During last year 21,405 new cars were registered—2B per cent, more than in 1928. There were 40G0 now cars from Britain as compared with 2364 in 1928. ' I have not this year's returns available, but you will see from tho foregoing that British cars are undoubtedly making progress in New Zeadand." They were doing their best in the Dominion to increase trade with Britain. On a British car valued at £4OO the Customs tariff was £99 16s, while the tariff on a foreign car of the same value was £2Bl. They could see from that how very real was the preference New Zealand gave to the Mother Country. There was evidence that the visit to New Zealand of Sir Archibald BoydCarpenter and his party was a wise step—one that might well be followed by other industries.

There were certain inherent disadvantages under which the British cars had suffered in New Zealand in their adaptability to the particular requirements, such as the roads and the steep grades, but British manufacturers were now fully aware of these matters and were, he believed, endeavouring to meet them. Mr Forbes then referred to the great improvement o£ the roads in the Dominion in recent years. He quoted from a late report by the British Trade Commissioner. "So far as motor-coaches and public transport by motors is concerned," the Prime Minister concluded, "the Dominion exhibits a programme well abreast of other parts of the world. As in your own case the competition of motor transport with the raillway is a problem the Government is now facing. There is a very definite desire on the part of the people of New Zealand to purchase British goods in preference to foreign, and I do desire to urge the importance of giving your customers in the Dominion the type of car they require, and at a reasonable price.''