PICTURE EXHIBITORS ALARMED

Evening Star, Issue 19662, 15 September 1927, Page 4

PICTURE EXHIBITORS ALARMED

TIMBER INDUSTRY SATISFIED ISrECUL 10 THE ' STAE.’J CITRISTGHUI’CiI, September 14. To use a cricketing term, tlio motor body builders of Christchurch ami of New Zealand have been “ smacked to leg” by the new tariff provisions. Contracts are being cancelled,- and workmen arc to bo dismissed. _ Ihe tariff pronouncement has landed in the rump of the body builders ns a veritable bombshell, and the proprietors in Christchurch take a pessimistic view ol tho future. Two linns cancelled contracts for timber and other materials to-day, and other cancellings will follow.

“ Tho Government’s action is wicked,” declared one employer. “There is absolutely no benefit to the body builders of this country,” said Mr Vivian Grant, secratary of the Now Zealand Loner and Motor Hotly Builders’ Association, to a ‘ Sun ’ reporter to-da\. “We sought the admission tree or British motor car chassis, and tiro Cov?rnuient has ignored tho appeal. Altogether we asked for a 20 per cent, instead of a do per cent, tarill on foreign chassis, lint tire (lovcnrmcnt, in its wisdom, has lelt the tariff at do per cent., thus a (ford mg no hcl[> to tiro Now Zealand industry. There is no benefit to us at all, yet preference is given to knocked down bodies lor assembling in Now This is against" the interests of established motor body building concerns. British manufacturers are penalised, because American stuff, coming from Canada with 50 per cent. British manufacture in it, can be landed in New Zealand on the same duty as bodies from England. At the present time none of the English manufacturers is in a state iiMvhieh Ire can ship unassembled bodies. Therefore all the preforeneo is given on American stuff coming via Canada, 'lire assembly work done in New Zealand is with unskilled labor and with foreign materials; them is not a particle of Now Zealand material used.” It was learned that there are 250 nro’i employed by tiro motor body building firms of Christchurch. One proprietor told a reporter that thirty men will bo given notice of dismissal at the end of this week, in tho last few months, based on Government help, and the placing of large order's, over £40,000 has been spent by firms in Christchurch in extensions to buildings and tire installation of modern plant as good as that to bo found anywhere in tiro world. The builders wore encouraged to get out on up-to-date mass production methods, which have now been rendered useless by the action of the Government. The plant and extensions arc useless lor tire purpose for which thev arc intended. R. J, Lav, manager of Christchurch Motors, Ltd., regards tho new tariff ns n serious blow to tire English car manufacturer. ''lnstead of assisting !be Homeland, the Government had given it a “smack in tho eye.” The Government was assisting the Americans to push tho Englishman further olf tho commercial map. Tire traders in English cars were very disappointed indeed at the attitude revealed in the tariff pronouncement. Mr W. Pryco, of Cooper and Bryce, motor body builders, said that_ one importer of American chassis notified him this morning to hold his large contract in abeyance, pending Iris investigation of the position regarding cars assembled in New Zealand, nml corning via Canada. “All of my latest machinery now becomes idle,” said Mr Pryco, “ if the tariff proposals arc carried into effect. Despite all am agitation in the past, and all the solid evidence wc have placed before tiro Government, this blow has fallen on tho industry.”