BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRIES

Taihape Daily Times, 25 July 1919, Page 5

BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRIES

NOT A BRIGHT PROSPLJCT. Mr. S. F. Edge, the_wf_sl_l lmowzi E:*g--li‘.';l motorist, and one time mo-tar '(€l‘ manufacturer, takes a §'u:'y ])(:s.simi:'— tic View as regards the immediate piospeets of the English vn-3*crr industry In his opinion the home. ‘nduSt!‘_v is up against very difficult times, and the cheap car is not possibility. Labour icos_t flit: ?,K:_;l}A_e§.t trouble. Mr.VE'dge consi_t_ieljs that .t_h_ei Englisii motor trade is_ perilously n.ea.r the Verge of disasteifi owing to labour.‘ trou|bM‘:e=s,A.3ll'“d he is of conserted action is_necessary af commercial ruin is to bd_tlAVr;rl"o3-i. Wizeii the time ccnnes Mr_ Edge intends to

produce a cheap car. lie 1-; ;It'r:ri«.l, lho‘."‘-EVCT, that there is 2:0 hope rf ‘approaching pre-war prices. It is a [question of labour costs and output. INot only is the cost of labour twice ‘as high as before the war, but the ‘output per man is less——in some cases “half the pre-war standard. Even at the best of times it would take a year {to c-ighteen months to put a new ‘model on the market, and_;he thinks {that only samples of post—war models will be available for Olympia in [November next and an output in a seriious commercial way some months 'laf‘€.‘r. He mentions the case of a !manufacturing firm which increased its !works to twice pre—war size. They ;’haV'G plenty of orders in hand, but their output is only half what it was [in pre—war days. In his opinion, if ‘this state of things continues the factory must close down. Eventually, he lthinks that manufacturers under the vital stimulation of high Wages and reduced output will re—design processes land models: they will be simpler and lighter, this latter point being neces—‘S3l? to reduce cost, as it means 10S'§ cost for raw material, may mean less icost for value of work to be done’ on , it, and less cost for many of the added Darts, and, in addition much lighter running costs which will justify a Ihigher purchase.-‘price. Tlfé time Will, ,‘ Come, he thinks, when customers will} ‘pay more for reduced weight in their} lcars, and not as at present, when the | [bigger and heavier the car is —— to; icarry, say, five people, so the purchase " 'price rises. This is really most un’sound from the bl1.V0I"s and userfs ‘point of view. While this great motor manufacturing change ‘is taking place I ——of giving the buyer the least Weight possible that will do his work equally} as well as a heavier vehicle—labour unrest will reach its hig-h—water mark, I with such unhappiness and misery tog so many in every Walk of life thatl Sanity and consideration for others will be forced on all in simple selfdefence of life. Then he, in common with others, will produce the car at a price considered reasonable by the buyer, and cheap to run when pur-

chased. This day is not just yet, and diflicult Ways must still be traversefi for "the present. His advice to the public is to give orders, help, and goodwill to the British manufacturer, who is" both awake and competent, as time will prove.