The Motor Trade Outlook

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1921, Page 3

The Motor Trade Outlook

OPTIMISTIC COMMENTS. INVERCARGILL, Juno 9. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Garage Proprietors’ Association tonight, Mr D. Crossier, president of the New Zealand Association, made some interesting comments on the outlotok for the motor trade. When in America recently, lie said, the depression was just as had as it was in New Zealand to-day. A great number of people in this country had stopped purchasing because they expected 'prices to come down. They were inclined tb think that because they saw thirty-shilling hats reduced to ten shillings, - motor cars would do the same. But he could assure them that this was not so. The Association had investigated the position pretty thoroughly, and the investigation showed that there was not as many extra cars held in New Zealand as the public thought. He considered in fact, that there would be a shortage within the next 18 months. When in America, he had gone through factories that, instead of employing thousands of hands were only employing hundreds, and in some cases dozens. The Americans had decided that they were not going to over-produce again. By private letters received from the editor of the “Motor Age,” and the editor of the “Motor Herald,” he had been advised that business was resuming gradualy. and some of the factories were up to 50 per cent., of their normal strength. His latest information showed that the sales were exceeding the production. This looked as if there was going to be a shortage, and no likelihood of a reduction. Christchurch was one of the first towns to feel the depression, but business had now im- , proved largely, although it was not booming. Auckland, which had carried on longer than ChristchurdV, was now experiencing the depressioirnhat Christ- | church had lfad in February. But ' Auckland would boom again before very long, and that would be the case all over the country.