CARS COULD BE MADE IN AUSTRALIA

Shannon News, 21 August 1928, Page 4

CARS COULD BE MADE IN AUSTRALIA

MANUFACTURER’S OPINION.

"There is no doubt in my mind tliatthe Australian built motor car-will come out of the continued xlevelopnid'nt of the manufactures of the various units," said Mr, John Storey, chairman of the Automotive Manufacturers ' Association, at the annualmeeting of the, Association. " Much has been done already," he said. "New firms arc cropping uj> every month in the automotive manufacturing-trade; ' Everything but the engine and the chassis is already made here; Manufacturers are steadily increasing the number of chassis parts which th6y aau make with efficiency - and sell with profit." "If the Government wished to see an Australian-built car, it must give every possible encouragement to the parts, equipment, and accessory maxiufacturers, and the car itself must inevitably follow," he continued ; "At present instead of hearty -backing,/we arc subject to handicaps, which are mrelyunnecessary. Firms handling intci'-state business are subject to crucifying taxation. We are compelled to employ skilled men on reception, work which actually needs only semiskilled men, and the unions object to the application of what is the, first principle of incentives—a reward in, th ; e form of higher wages for efficiency,' whether it be piecework or a bonus. Until we arc in a position -to reward - high production with liigh wages- and low- production with a living wageonly we shall* never attain maximum efficiency." . Australian manufacturers, he explained, had demonstrated their capa-? bilities with modern methods and the ; latest machinery to reduce the prices = of goods to the public by their competition. With On increase, of 45 per cent., in the duty on gears, the Australian manufacturer a year oy two ago literally cut prices to' the public in halves. Since the increase of tariff on batteries, resulting in active Australian manufacture, the price of. a wellknown foreign battery had been reduced by 33 .1-3 per cent. Theiro were to-day in operation, or in preparation, no fewer than nine manufacturing firms in Sydney alone. Twelve months ago there were but four. During the year there had been an increase of 30 per cent, in our membership of the association, he said, the annual production of whose members was about £1,1)00,000,