MOTOR CARS AND CYCLES.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1917, Page 5

MOTOR CARS AND CYCLES.

LAST YEAiR'S RECORD IMPORTATIONS. (From Our Own Correspondent.)' ' Wellington, Thursday. Recently liis Majesty's Trade Commissioner for New/Zealand (Mr. R. W. Dalton) asked the municipal and county authorities throughout the Dominion .to assist him in the collection of statistics regarding the registration of motor cars and motor cycles durng the year 101 C. The figures he has secured shpw that last year no fewer than 5750 motor cars and 3101 motor cycles were registered in New Zealand for the fir»t time. They were newly imported vehicles and the startling feature of the figures is the enormous preponderance of importations from the United States. The detailed figures, showing ■ the country of origin, are as follows: Country of origin. Cars. Cycles. United Kingdom tvjv.. 594 2404 United States ».i.... 3293 620 Canada , . 1331 France .vro-...-j. 127 >. Italy ... i-.ur.rri,„ 21 Belgium MW.1...V 13 44 Other foreign ... 4 31 Origin unknown ~ii. 53 32 5750 3191 The number of now cars is unprecedented artd may be regarded as a result of the high prices that are being received for the primary products of the Dominion. British manufacturers have held their own well as far as the motor cycles are concerned; but it appears that the American firms have been able to take very full advantage of tlie fact that the British manufacturers of motor cars have their attention concentrated on war work. The Americans are interested to a large extent in the cars credited to Canada, since American capital has been employed to develop tlie motor-car industry across the border with the primary object of avoiding customs and preferential duties. The figures indicate that of the extra money paid by the United Kingdom to JTew Zealand for wool, mutton, dairy produce, etc., at war prices, a very large sum has been used to buy American motor cars. The new motor cars and cycles were distributed over the various districts as follows: Districts. Cars. Cycles. Auckland and Poverty Buy. PV.i 519 Hawke's Bay ! '.. fi-il .280' Taranaki 480 227 Wellington, Rangitikei, and Wairarapa 1278 789 Nelson and Maryborough... 2 1 8 .98 Canterbury 60S Westland 11: Sil Otago and Southland 7% 494 5750 mi The North Island districts apj.sft to have established a very substam'. 1 «;• i over the South Island far ds lik »i purchases of motor cars and cyciei - —-