BODY BUILDERS MEET IN CONFERENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 336, 23 April 1928, Page 10

BODY BUILDERS MEET IN CONFERENCE

VALUE OF ORGANISATION Delegates from all over New Zealand were present at the of the 16th annual conference of the New Zealand Coach and Motor Body Builders’ Association in Auckland this morning. The principal discussion concerned the position of secondary industries. The visitors were welcomed by’ Mr. YV. J. Cousins, who apologised for the absence of the Mayor, who had promised to meet the delegates, but was too busy. Mr. E. C. Harvie stressed the necessity for organisation. He pointed out that the Federation's activities during the past year had prevented action by Parliament that would have annihilated the industry. .GOVERNMENT HELP WANTED Mr. Harvie introduced Mr. Harris. J M.P., and pointed out that the industry wanted all the assistance it could i get from the Government. If the industry could build 10,000 cars a year, instead of 1,000 it could help other secondary industries, including leathes as well as employing 50 per cent, more i men. Mr. Harris said he believed the secondary industries had rather been made subservient to the interests of primary industries, but the time had arrived when the untry areas could not absorb labour in times of stress as it had done previously', and if the secondary industries with assistance could help to relieve the unemployed position then that assistance should he given. Cities were developing to such an extent that it was becoming increasingly necessary to develop the secondary industries on which the cities and towns must largely depend for employment. INCREASED EMPLOYMENT Mr. E. C. Harvie pointed out that one large organisation dealing with assembling employed 303 men, but the body-builders held that if the Government would decrease the importation duties on British and foreign chassis, without altering the duty on imported bodies, the body-building trade could employ 3,000 men. The assembly organisations did not even use New Zeaalnd timber. They brought their knocked-down bodies in in such condition and with such provision that tho work in New Zealand was reduced to a minimum.