BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 113, 10 February 1928, Page 10

BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY

A ROMANTIC ACHIEVEMENT MEETING OVERSEAS DEMANDS One of the great romances of British industry is provided by the success of Mr. W. R. Morris, who started without capital in the cycle business, and from this small beginning built up the huge motor concern that bears his name, and for which he recently refused an offer of £12,000,000 from an American syndicate. After ten days in the Dominion, where he has been acquainting himself with conditions bearing on the activities of the great organisation he has created, Mr. Morris will sail for Australia from Wellington this afternoon. Less than twenty years ago Mr. Morris. who is regarded as one of the foremost British industrialists to-day, started to manufacture cycles. He later turned his hand to motor-cycles and engaged in their manufacture. It was in 1912 that ho began the manufacture of motor-cars, and to-day he has factories at Cowley, Oxford, Coventry, and in France, and employs 26.000 people in his various works. Besides visiting New Zealand in the interests of his own firm, Mr. Morris is an ambassador of Empire trade, and through his representations displays of Dominion products are exhibited in the canteens in his factories and some 48 other industrial concerns in the Old Country. “I want to learn all that New Zealand produces.” he said yesterday, “and when I return to tell the people of (be Homeland Io buy from you. We have 1,500,000 workless, and by trade within the Empire we can find work for them. There should be reciprocity of trade between Britain and her possessions, and only by Empire trade can the unemployment position be ameliorated.” "Taranaki Roads Equal Those of England.’* In his desire to see overseas conditions for himself, and to learn what was required by the New Zealand public, Mr. Morris djove 1. is own car from Auckland to Wellington, covering some 1400 miles all told. He told a Dominion reporter that he found the New Zealand roads better than he expected, and far superior to what he had been led to believe. Considering the age of the country, and tho short time there had been to construct them, he considered our roads remarkably good. He had travelled over a good assortment of them, and many were really wonderful, those in Taranaki being as good as anything in England. He was of opinion that half the agitation for wide tracks was American propaganda, and was unwarranted. He himself did not see one solitary road where a wide track was necessary. The* worst road he travelled over was one in which there was about four inches clearance between tho crown of the road and the lowest point of tho cahssis. Meeting Dominion's Requirements. Mr. Morris said that there was now a general desire on the part of manufacturers to supply cars which would meet New Zealand requirements. Ho maintained that there should be a preference for British cars, as .British manufacturers were prepared fo build cars to meet any conditions. Speaking of ihe popularity of American cars of the sixcylinder type, Mr. Morris said that his firm was meeting this form of competition in a model that had been released a few days ago, but he was certain that British designers would not revert to large engines eVen if the horse-power tax were lifted. While he desired to avoid criticism of foreign manufacturers, he emphasised the supremacy of the small British engine, with its high power development and economical operation. His own firm had recently designed models which he was confident would meet Dominion requirements, and be powered sufficiently high to eliminate over frequent gear, changing. “I think,” he added, “that tho next two years will see a big change-over from American to English cars.” Tn 1912 the output of cars from the Morris firm was 409. but this year the aim was to place 100,069 new cars on the road. Mr. Morris remarked that such an achievement would represent tho production of a Morris car every one and n half minutes of the working day of eight hours. » It was mentioned by Mr. Morris that excellent results had attended the visit of tlie British Motor Delegation that recently visited the Dominion, and that the observations made by tile members had been of benefit to the industry ns a whole. He himself had learned quite a lot from them before his departure from England as to conditions in the Dominion. Mr. Morris does not believe in going outside the Empire for skilled labour. He hns, howeVer, a plant in France, the only branch of the firm outside of England and there he employs French labour and French materials. Ho commends the French for protecting their own interests by imposing such a protective tariff as to compel him to manufacture on their soil. Improving Industrial Conditions. Mr. Morris is a champion of the British workman and has done a great deal to improve industrial conditions. Recently he gave £100,009 to help a hospital that was in financial difficulties. “There is,” he said, “a big misconception as to the attitude of Labour at Home. The British workman is tho best workman in the world and gives his fair day’s work. He is more amepable to reason than any other employee.” Mr. Morris will not visit the South Island and this afternoon he will sail for Sydney to make a tour of Australia. “I have had a delightful tour through the North Island,” he said, “and have felt as much at home in this country as in England.”