COACHBUILDERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1708, 27 March 1913, Page 3

COACHBUILDERS.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE!

The conference of delegates from conchy builders' associations throughout iNew Zealand was continued yesterday. Mr. John. Bett (I'aluierston North) presided. ' Election of Officers. The election of office-bearers -esulted as follows:—President, Air. Jonn Bett (i'almerston. iNortu); vice-presiueuts, Alesars. J. Ormistou Wlrito (lnineUin), and 1". ltouso (Wellington); nou. stcretary and treasurer, iUr.,U. Bash (Waiiuato); executive committee, Jiessrs. K James tlilenlioini), ,T. •annus (otratioru), w. Aimu (Auckland)', Whittaker (Hamilton), U. U'auiKner (Napier), and ono member to bo still elected to represent Cliristchurclu Air. Brayshaw was elected a me member of tlie association. In returning thanks Mr. Braystiaw stated that ho had been given a great deal of credit lor work wtaicli beiongeu to ocners, notaoly to Air. Cliilds (Taranaki). It was his intention to enter into agricultural pursuits, but he could not possibiy disassociate himself from the, interests of the trade. Air. Chillis was also proposed as a life member, but the majority of delegates urged that his services were required on the executive, while one and ail agreed ' that ho thoroughly deserved the honour. A vote of thanks was accorded the Taranaki Association, for convening the conference.

Organisation. A paper written by Mr. J. Whittaker (Hamilton) on '"i'lio value of Organisation m tue Trade," was read. In tms tne writer emphasised that association had to bo, met by association, and a combined liont had to bo shown, to all things that threatened the industry. Labour had snuwa tne world tne power and benefits to bo thrived irom unity. To-day tlie coaJhbuilders were • working under conditions wmch existed in the time of their giaiidruuiers. xney snoiiid not confound ckan rivalry with petty underhand metnous, wnercoy tile 'word "business",was made to stink in their, nostrils. If the craft was to progress they had to discourage isolation. The general public wouid always pay a fair price ißr a good job. Ho claimed that the association could and ,would be instrumental in preventing 1. A solid and effective check to tho demands of agitators who control tho WmpioyeeS' Union. ' 2. A : united stand in conjunction with other employers' . associations in watching over, interests common to all, such as Labour legislation,.tariff anomalies, excessive freights. on timber from Australia and smiths' coals; to procure adequate protection inrough.the Customs igainst the cheap American .vehicles and uiotor-car bodies, ctc. 3. By frequently meeting together and becoming' properly acquainted. • i. By tho'''.'various firm's submitting prime cost sheets, of different jobs for discussion. .

5. By comparisons of prime costs of repair work tlie association will be able to issue a complete price list of repairs. 6. By fixing a uniform price and it pioper classification for horse-shoeing. (Ai; the present time, ho declared, this trade Is in a deplorable condition, prices Uing what they were ten.or fifteen years iigo.) 7. Copies of all papers and prime costs would bo available to members. 8. Members would be enabled to take joint action in the direction of leclucing the long credit, system. ■ 9. Tracing absconding debtors. 10. Acting in concorj; with;tho Taranaki and Auckland Associations. . In conclusion he urged all to rise (\bovo petty feeling and place tho. trade on a sound' footing. Discussion on the paper was temporarily postponed; It was decided that a deputation should wait on the.'Ministor for Eailways,with a.view to having the'surcharge on'Australian',hMdiToocl.'timb(irs: renipved.'

fin Motor-Cars. Mr, ■J. Belt.. (Pftlnierston North) read ,a- 'invper- he : had .-jn'eirar(;U''oil 7the : motorcar industry.' He was inclined co think that the motor-car had come to. stay, ".but," hp added, "I have yet to be convinced that more than 50 per cent, of the purchases made go to satisfy , a genuino want. When I say a genuine want, I mean revenue or expedite busi;ness methods. In myopiniou the other, 50-per cent, of the cars sold go to gratify the rapidly-increasing luxurious habits of the population—l.was going, to say extravaganco of the people, but I will content myself with -the formev expression. '. . ; The purchaser will probably sooner, or later lie called upon to do some hard thinking how to meet this coming difficulty; but I. do not hold that wo can materially assist to bring this view, of tho case into prominence. ... In too many instances sales are effected on terms calculated to make thoughtful men stare in blank amazement. If a purchaser wishes to indulge his - luxurious tastes he should be in a position to pay. He should require no terms of payment and no credit, or if ho does he should at least bo in a position to pay within a very brief period of delivery. Extended ternls of payment on any article, but' more especially on motor-cars, are most' prejudicial to the well-being or success of any business. There is nothing so laborious, or distasteful to a debtor as paying. for-a 'dead liorsV " He suggested, further, that no second-hand car should be accepted by builders as part payment for a' new one, and that a legal sale note should bo signed in each'dase where terms were arranged. In a general discussion on both papers whiich followed, ?>lr. 0. Black ("Wellingspeaking with regard to the. tariff on motor-cars,, said that the duty at present was wrongly imposed. The duty shbuld bo levied on • the whole article when the car came in completed, and the bare chassis only should be admitted free. ... Touching on the question of discounts, the chairman,, .said that the merchants had been very good, and had not oppressed the trade.. He advised tradesmen,, especially small ones, to leave indenting alone and deal with-the..merchants. : Other delegates endorsed.these remarks. A voto of thanks was passed, to llessrs. 13ett and 'Wliittaker.

Price-Cutting. ' Mr. 13. C. Harvio (Dunpdih) read a paper on "The Practice of Price-Cutting." Ho said that year by : i year tlio manufacturer was being confronted with more difficult problems, and the restrictions of trado were becoming greater.' If coachbuilders were to keep up with tho. times they would have to-be banded together in closer association. Tho fact that liionoy could not be made in thfeir trade was. their own. fault. They must; do away flrsi; with the unfriondly feeling among rival builders in the samo town. Cutting prices led to tho destruction of businesses, and to a destruction of tho proper trade spirit. 1 A good deal of the unfair competition was due to lack of intelligence, and if more attention were paid to costing work a Rood deal of this unintelliK«nt wimpetition would bo eliminated. Half of the price-cutting was due to the fact that builders did not pay proper attention to costing. Ho attributed the practice of price-cutting to three things: (1) Unfriendly relations, (2) ignorance of cost, tt) the want of proper knowledge of 'salesmanship. Then there was the custom of bargaining after a manufacturer had quoted tho lowest prico prospective purchaser, leading to the manufacturer often enough being weak enough lo accept .less than his price. Most often it was tho small man who wns guilty of cutting prices. Also m buying supplies, the small man was sometimes anxious to be polite to tho shrewd and persistent salesman, and ho lost m consequence. A good deal of the unnecessary competition was duo to the very questionable methods of somo merchants in "iving extended credit to builders who were in- no senso business men. Bills had lo bo met or renewed, and all this meant high prices to the manufacturer, and a struggle so long as ho could bear the sixain. Many (ft tho small men worked very long hours in order to mako ends moot. Ho thought' a profit-sharing system-would materially benefit tho trade. If there was more cordial co-operation between masters and men in the coachbuilding trade, ilioro would be much ( le;s price-cutting by manufacturers. The conference adjourned uulil !U0 a.m. to-day.

• FEILDING. William Williams .a young man, who described himself as anilnglishman, who lias been sis years in New Zealand, pleaded guilty at the I'eilding Court yesttTua,, morning to charges ot stealing a coat valued at 355., and a silver watch worth 60s. Sergeant Bowden stated that the uian, when arrested, had in his possession a pair of gloves, .a silver-mounted comb, a paif of 'razor strops, and a pail'.of 'razors, and an ugly-looking instrument,' known as a "knuckie-duster." Tho mail had stated that ho could not account for having the articles in his .possession, but there was 110 doubt in the sergeant s mind that lie had stolen, them. Williams pleaded for leniency oil tho ground that lie was drunk at the time, and did not know, what he was doing. Sergeant Bowden replied that tho man was sober enough when; he stole tho watch and the coat. The magistrate said that there was no doubt that the man was a sneakthief, and he liad no excuses for having a "knuckle-duster" in his possession. It certainly could not be called an ornament. He would convict accused, ansentence him to one month's imprisonliient on each charge, tho sentences to be concurrent.