THE MOTOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1916, Page 7

THE MOTOR.

EXCESSIVE MANUFACTURE. WHERE WILL IT LEAD TO? Tn a discussion of sonic startling statistics allowing the growth of the motorbuilding industry of the United States, Mr. ll..Massac Buist,' writing- in the Daily Mull, argues that Europe will be under an enormous handicap after the war in attempting to "compete with the American manufacturers'. The growth of the scale of manufacturing has at last attained figures that are out of proportion to the giowth of the numbers of cars in use. As the prime aim of any manufacturing enterprise is to ensure markets for the resultant wares not merely for a season, but for year after year, and as the scale of American motor-car production for 1017, on .which work lias been begun already, quite eclipses anything accomplished so faff, some of the leaders of the American automobile induitry are beginning, says the writer,. to wonder what will be the end so far as the production of their factories is concerned. The United States Government, has just produced.the first authentic statistics concerning the growth of the automobile movement. These, together with figures of actual manufacturing output during the.first six months of 3010, aggregate such great totals that the meaning of them is almost lost to us unless we seek some ground for comparison. Therefore, the most convenient way is to, recall that when Britain was at the full time of its prosperity at the time war broke out we were producing some 40,000 motor vehicles a year in our factories, and the number of passenger cars registered as being in use exceeded 200,000. The statistic? now issued by the United States Government reveal that there were in use in that country at the end of last a total of 2,445,664 cars, on which £3,040,142 per annum in fees, a- revelation which lias led the Trans-Atlantic Press to proclaim in large headlines that "Motor-cars Yield a Eain of Gold." In order to grasp the meaning of those figures, we must bave in mind the fact that more than threequarters of a. million of those cars were bought and brought into use in 1015, during which year- the effects of the boom of prosperity in nil things Ameri- | can, due primarily to the European war and still continuing, began to be experienced to the full. In 1015 80-2,01 S motor vehicles were manufactured in the United States, against 515,261 in. 1!>12. Tito American industry boasted that in 1010 1 it would produce- 1,200,000 cars, a programme that was frankly believed to be impossible. Figures for the first six mont.Vis' production in 10141—namely, from January to June, inclusive—are now available. They reveal that, far from the contemplated scale of production being impossible, it has been surpassed.' Despite difficulties in obtaining raw materials, the half-year's production totalled 754;902 cars, against 802,018 for the whole of 1015, In other words, this year's production is at the rate of 1,500,804 cars per annum, pr approximately three times the total production of 1014. Further, the present scale of production would suffice to replace in twenty ninths every motor vehicle in use in the Unit- j ed State*. Add to this the fact that factories are still being enlarged there because all the leading markers have a greater demand for their cars than they could satisfy, and it will be appreciated that in 1017 "the output will be on a scale that will quite eclipse the staggering accomplishment of this year. "In the matter of mere scale of production, if the whole, European motor industry were to become a single consolidated organisation, nevertheless the world's financial situation would never enable it in any way seriously to challenge American motor output. When you have tlie foregoing figures in mind, and when you .realise that the making of the cheapest American car has in. the last year resulted in a yield of £12,000,000 clear profit, the idea that British combinations should be formed for turning out cheap cars on the American scale is simply childish. Where in war-impoverished Europe could the money be got together to wage a financial battle with-established enterprise already yielding profits on that scale? Where, if wo got the money together, could wo find a market to take the resultant output of, motor vehicles? . . . Of course, our 'kinsfolk overseas arc eager on every score to buy from the Mother Country provided she is practical enough to supply the suitable article.. So is Russia-, our mighty Ally. "I liave striven to show how the- conditions obtaining.inherently in the United States give her motor industry enormous advantages;, over our own, even in the matter of supplying our dominions and Allies. She can produce oars more cheaply, and has to make them for her own alse in suclr a manner ni enables them'to stand up to the norma: conditions of service obtaining in ou: - overseas dominions, whereas those conditions of service are in very striking contrast with what obtain in these islands, outside which tlie average Britten, n.iskcr rarely tests his cars. "I write as a champion of British industry as w'cll as one who Ins studied on the spot the conditions-of tnotoiing in our overseas dominions. My considered opinion is that, unless our manufacturers also study those condition? at first hand, no amount of overseas loyalty can prevent America from petting what should become our legitimate export motor trade."