LOSS OF TRADE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21229, 27 September 1940, Page 9

LOSS OF TRADE

MOTOR INDUSTRY TREATMENT UNDER IMPORTS SETBACK TO ASSEMBLING (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Thursday The New Zealand Motor Trade Federation wishes to make an emphatic protest against the treatment of the industry under the fifth period import licenses, according to the president, Mr C. R. Edmond, who in a statement today said the restrictions wouid lead to the closing down of assembly plants and would probably mean that the trade would oe unable to pay its contribution to the War Purposes Loan. Mr Edmond said there was a slight easing regarding spare parts and tyres, but the trade considered there should be no restriction, as when no new vehicles were coming it was necessary that spare parts should be available to keep up the old ones. The main issue, he said, was the total prohibition of the importation of cars for the whole of 1941, which would* lead to the closing down of assembly plants and the dismissal of many workers. The importation of commercial vehicles would not provide much assembly work. Contribution To Loan He emphasised that these restrictions had been placed on the industry at a time when British manufacturers were appealing for olders to keep up British trade. Referring to the War Purposes Loan, Mr Edmond said the year on which contributions were to be computed had been a good one in the motor industry, but seeing that no import licenses were granted in the last half of 1940, and now there would be none for 1941, he did not see how the industry was going to pay its share of the compulsory loan.