MOTOR CARS IN WAR TIME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1689, 22 March 1917, Page 2

MOTOR CARS IN WAR TIME.

SPEAKING at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, on the subject of motor cars in war time, as a result of a resolution before the meeting from the Otorohanga Chamber of Commerce, Mr L. A. Edwards said that he was entirely in accord with the spirit of the Otarahanga Chamber of Commerce in protesting against luxuries, but pointed out the essential part the motor car was playing in New Zealand to-day. There seemed to be a growing tendency on the part of those who gave this matter only superficial consideration to think that motor cars were “rich men’s toys”; that they should be specially taxed for road upkeep, and that their importation should be entirely prohibited. He was quite convinced that this was wrong, that if importation was not allowed, especially during the war, the clock of progress would be put back fifty years. The most essential industry was that of farming, and nine out of every ten motor cars were sold to farmers. Why? Because the motor car was the only means of commuincation the farmer, far removed from the cities, had. To-day we were faced with the most serious problem in our history, the shortage of man power, and if the motor car was withdrawn from the farmer, how was he to attend the weekly sales? He had personal knowledge of men who had to travel a hundred miles to these sales, and if the farmers were compelled to revert to the horse and trap their visits would take three or four days at a period when their time was of the nlmost value. Give the farmer his motor car and reasonable roads, and one of our most serious problems —getting the young man to go on the land —would solve itself. The South Island was unfortunately passing through one of the most serious droughts in its history, and his South Island manager had just written to him to slate that if it were not for the motor cars the farmers would no be able to carry on their business. And what, of the doctor and his motor car? The doctors had told him (hat motor cars had trebled the medical efficiency, especially in (he country. The commercial traveller, too, was able to do twice the work with a motor car as he could without it. The railway service was to be very seriously curtailed next month, and the motor car would, to a very large extent, gel over the difficulty. Motor vehicles, as a means of transit, played a very valuable part in business. Motor cars were being exported from America because no other country was in a position at present to export them. “We don’t want any more of this wild talk regarding (he motor car being non-

essential,’’ said Mr Edwards. The Chamber carried a motion “recommending the Government to deal with the restriction of the importation of [moved non-essentials.” -