MOTOR TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24414, 27 September 1940, Page 6

MOTOR TRADE

AN EMPHATIC PROTEST IMPORT LICENCE SCHEDULE DRASTIC IN EFFECT (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. The Motor Trade Federation wishes to make an emphatic protest against the treatment of its industry under the fifth-period import licence schedule, according to the president, Mr C. R. Edmond. who,' in a statement to-day, said that the restrictions would lead; to the closing down of assembly plants, and would probably mean that the trade would be unable to pay its contribution to the War Purposes Loan. There was a slight easing regarding spare parts and tyres, he said, but the trade considered that there should be no restriction, as when, no new vehicles were coming in it was necessary that spare parts should be available to keep up the old ones. The main issue, he said, was the total prohibition of the importation of cars for the whole of 1941, which would lead to the closing .down of assembly plants and the dismissal of many workers. The importation of commercial vehicles would not provide much assembly work. He emphasised that these restrictions had been placed on the industry at a time when British manufacturers were appealing for orders to keep up British trade. Referring to the War Purposes Loan Mr Edmond said the year on which contributions were to be computed had been a good one in the motor industry, but seeing that no import licences were granted in the last half of 1940 and that now there would be none for 1941 he did not see how the industry was going to pay its share of the compulsory loan.