MOTOR TRADE’S PROTEST

Southland Times, Issue 24242, 27 September 1940, Page 6

MOTOR TRADE’S PROTEST

Effect Of Petrol Restrictions

ASSEMBLY PLANTS MAY HAVE TO CLOSE (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 26.

The New Zealand Motor Trade Federation wishes to make an emphatic protest against the treatment of the motor industry under the fifth period import licences, according to the president (Mr C. R. Edmond) who, in a statement today, says the restrictions will lead to the closing down of the assembly plants and will probably mean that the trade will be unable to pay its contribution to the war purposes loan.

There had been a slight easing regarding spare parts and tyres, but the trade considered that there should be no restriction, as when no new vehicles were coming it was necessary that spare parts should be available to keep up the old ones.

The main issue, said Mr Edmond, was the total prohibition of the importation of cars, 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 emphasized 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 framed in the last half of 1940 and there would now be none for 1941, he did not see how the industry was going to pay its share of the compulsory loan.