MOTOR CARS SCARCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1919, Page 11

MOTOR CARS SCARCE.

RESULT OF LABOR UNREST. AMERICA COLLARING OVERSEAS TRADE. Disorganisation, following the war, and labor unrest, are the factors in Britain, as well as on the Continent, which arc likely to prevent the landing in New Zealand for perhaps a year of any considerable number of British motor-cars. This was the statement made to a Lyttelton Times reporter by Mr Walter Scott, of the Christchurch motor firm of W. B. Scott and Co., who has just returned to the city after a nine months' business trip to Italy, France, England and America. Mr Scott's firm has Italian and English agencies, and he was able to speak as the result of close contact with the heads of motoring firms in those countries.

Incipient Bolshevism and labor troubles in Italy, Mr Scott said, had retarded production and sent prices upwards. .Strange as it might sound, the foremen ill the big F.I.A.T. works had struck for £9O a week. This could only be believed if one knew the cost of living in these countries. Butter could not he obtained in the city, there was practically no sugar or meat, while the cheese was a queer sort of production, and the ■ bread was brown. Chocolates or cakes were almost unknown, and he had paid seven lire for one little calce such as one would buy in Christchurch for a penny or twopence. Food riots ij Milan, with the looting of food shops, w? followed by the machine-gunning of 1' .• rioters, and the shopkeepers, for their own protection, were eager to be taker, over by the Government,.. Bolshevism waR common in Northern Ttaly, and following a declaration bv the employees at one big establishment that they were going to take over the works and run them themselves, the employers had a big lock-out, and sacked over 400 foremen before reopening the works. Tn connection with the hisli cost of living, Mr. Scott stated that Italy imported all her coal from America, and also imported her iron. Tile imports far exceeded the exports, and although in pre-war days the difference had been adjusted by the big flood of tourists, it was being severely felt at present, and it was accentuated by the fact that a huge export of wine to America had ceased when the United States carried prohibition. An unattractive picture of London was drawn by Mr. Scott. When he arrived there he was told that the metropolis was carrying five millions above its normal population. Irrespective of tariff, it was extremely difficult to find any place to stay at. When the troops were moved out the position became easier, but the tubes and 'buses were overflowing and it was impossible at times to fight ono's way on to a "bus. T.he railways and in bad order. To Liverpool, Manchester and other big centres, even the first-class carriages were poor, and it was neecssary to bo at the station an hour early to secure a scat.- The tracks and rolling stock were in desperately bad order, and the riff-raff travelling made the use of third-class carriages impossible for decent people. "Could you place orders for cars in England?" Mr. Seott was asked. 'TTes," he replied, "but they were too much money." Elaborating on this point, he said that there was a great scarcity of cars all over England. Mass production was to be undertaken by several enormously big iron and steel wofks that were being turned over from munition malting. Some of them, "however, had not even sketched out the car they intended to produce. Cars were so scarce in England that they could be placed there as fast as they could be tnrrted out for some time to come, and therefore it would be poaßibly a year before English cars, in any • considerable nilmber, could be expected in New Zealand. The tall prices in England were instanced "by the fact that a Vauxhall car was £llsO in England, the Rover, which used to sell in Christchurch at from £4OO to £450, was £7OO in England to-day. A Sunbeam "torpedo" cost £790; a Eolls-Koyce chassis £1450. Angus, Sanderson and Co. were planning big production, and a "Cupid" car, of 20 h.p. was promised at £298 in England.

"I saw a Rolls-Royce sold in Paris to a Yankee for £5000," said Mr Scott. "It was second-hand, but it was in the pink of condition. The average price of a Rolls-Royce- is £.1500, and I have not heard of one sold tinder £2500. They are collared by millionaires, and you cannot get one of them. - ' He added that continuous strikes and minor troubles, particularly in the North of England, had prevented the English manufacturers from getting going. Although the British goods would be late and high-priced, they were absolutely magnificent. There was nothing in the whole of America that could hold a candle to the (British car in finish and appearance and' reliability. The Lanchesters, Rolls-Royces, Vatoxhalls and Crossleys that he had seen were the last word in motor-car luxury.

"You cannot buy cars in New York for use in the United States," Mr Scott said, "but the Yankees are looking after their export trade, and they Will give immediate delivery for cars or accessories for export to the dominions." He added that the Americans had valuable agencies in New Zealand, which were so filled up with American orders that they could not undertake English agencies. The English cars, although late on the scene, would come down in price, but they would find the American car strongly entrenched."