THE TOURING CARS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 50, 31 March 1930, Page 5

THE TOURING CARS

BUY BRITISH AND BE BRITISH. VISIT TO HASTINGS. The touring British cars ' spent all Saturday afternoon and evening in Hastings. They arrived at 1.15 p.m. and after the party was welcomed by the Mayor, Mr G. F. Roach, the cars were thrown open for inspection by the public. -Later they again paraded the town, and in the evening tlie tourists gathered at the Assembly Hall, where Mr Ashford Edwards, the leader of the party, addressed a large public meeting. The Mayor, in his afternoon welcome, said that the time had arrived when the goods offered by Britain satisfied the requirements of the Dominion. English cars were now making an appeal to the public, and as Britishers it was our duty to deal with Britain instead of sendiiig our money to a foreign eountry. Britain lielped us and it was therefore up to us to help Britain. .His Worship mentioned that last year New Zealand spent. £5,914,936 on cars and accessories and only £1,399,728 of this went to Britain, and if we could increase our British purchases it would be a step in the riglit direction. MAYOR APOLOGlSES. The Mayor apologised for owning an American car, but hoped that as Mayor of the town he would in the near future set an ,'example for others to follow. (Applause), Mr 'Ashcroft Edwards thanked the public for their spontaneous welcome, which showed that the British feeling was as much alive here as elsewhere, but it wanted directing. and* when directed the right way there would be a trade with Britain nothing could dam. He pointed out tliaf the future of New Zealand was vitally wrapped up in the future of the British Emnire, and particularly of the Motherland, which should be helped in every possible way. THE NIGHT MEETING. Headed by the Hastings Citizens' Bapd, the procession of cars headed for the Hastings Assembly Hall, where Mr Ashcroft likiwards addressed a gathering- of about' 350 people. •\Vith their headlights full on and the lorries well illmninated, the long string of cars made a wonderful display as it proceeded along Heretaunag' street, the footpaths of which were tlironged with hundreds of people. The Mayor, Mr 6. F. Roach, introduced Mr Edwards to the audience. He congratulated .Mr Edwards on tho excellent display which had been made during the day. After. this display it was clear that the British manufacturer recognised tlie value of -the New Zealand market, and from wliat he had personally seen. he was quite satisfied that tlie British cars could not be excel|ed Mr Ashcroft Edwards returned his thankg for the reception accorded tlie party throughout the whole .tour and particularly for the large attendance he was addressing. P — L — E — A — S — E. The speaker spoke on similar lines to* his address in Napier. Hp'suggested that in purchasing a motor car the prospectiye purchaser should remteniber' the word "please," the dissected letters of which stood for a real car. "P" could be placed for power — power to weight ratio; "L" meant long ' life ; "E" stood for economy ; "A'y for appearance; "S" for sta.ying power and "E" for ease and comfort. The whole secret of these attributes was halance and the only cars which were properly balanced were the majority of the English cars and very few Continental or American ones. The Americans had. not got this secret and this was the reason why they were unable to produce light cars and motor c.vcles equal to the British produot.. The Americans, however, had'started to produce such cars but they were doing it with English jbrains. Th'e speaker admitted that greater cost and work was pui into the main English cars, but the result of this was that there was no distortion in the engine, wliich at the end of a longr run at a high rate of speed, was just as Iively as at the start of the run. Tlie speaker urged the necessity of the Dominion increasina- her trade with the Old Oountry, on wliom she was so dependent, and urged the adoption of the slogan "Buy British Goods," not because of patriotism, not .because of duty, but as a business proposition, for it was the nnlv me^os of tbo salvatiou of New Zealand.- "Buy British and he British," were tlie speaker' s final woyds. The ' meeting became quite enthusiastic and the end was brought with three liearty British cheefs for the British nianufacturer. u'