Increase In British Cap Quota Demanded

Chronicle (Levin), 19 March 1948, Page 3

Increase In British Cap Quota Demanded

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A I?UN^D-Nr, Marm 18. . The nrgen't' h^ed Fpr an inef ease lh quota of. Britigh,-;, ears -impartedM mto New Zealand _ahd,a. danger of havxng so mxiuy decrepit - vehicies on the. .road were poinf^ s.treaSed at the ha'ifA|early nxeetixxg of the "Sotttfr Iffiand Motor Union tpday. On tlxe motion of Mr. U. W. Browne, • president" -bf • the '• Autqxnobile Association of;- Bouth Oanterbury it was deeided to support the. North Islaud Motor Uxxidu -in urging the Government to ixxerease xmport lieences for British ears immediately.. ' Mr. Browxle said that numerous doctors, farmers, business men, stocxt agents and others needfed new cax's and it was essential that they be ' kept mobile. The position was beeoming increasingly difficult as wear inereased on Axnerican ears beeause of the shortage of spare parts and the Government 's refusal of licences to angument stocks. ' " There are plen-ty pf ears available. English manufacturers have set a target of 20,000 ears for New Zealand ;for 1948, but liccnqes : 'h^ye been issued |br only" a'little. over ' 9000," said Mr. Bi'bwne. If no additional( licences were i granted he had it oil good authority that New Zea'lalxd • importers would have no new; -cax;s. for the first three months of 1948. He added that if the import quota wqre not inereased by Max;ch S1 thp JicenCei would be useless as- it tp.ok •nixj.fe' ffaoixtlis i te land in JNew Zedland ears for which licences hq,d been granted. These ears must reach' New Zeaiaxid'5 by the "end' of the eur-

rent year. There were ample funds available London. Britain needed to" •increase her exports and the more ears prodaced the cheaper they would be — these wjre all arguments for increasing the import ! quotas, said Mr. Browne. In addition the Government should be in favour of the procedure as it would increase its revenue by way of duties and taxes. The pereentage of aneient vintage on the roads was increasing. ■ _ It( was pomted out in the dxscussion ^liiph fljlpfvAd there were 15,238 in the Dominion less than five ye|rs old, 85,893 from 'five to 10 years pi|L, ;pp,142 .bM^-ecn 16. 'p/ng[H5jyC4i's dfd 52,754 over 15 years old. The respecuWe percentiagcs , werei y40.9, ^6.7,. aird -1 ' TD S U if It * ■}. 1 • j t ' C*> » -A ' i | f >