Many years ago one of our people asked an Irish
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engineer in Dublin: "Why do you ' impose a tax on imported vehicles?" "To protect our own vehicle building industry," came the reply. "What industry?" "Well, to protect one if we had one," he said.
What the engineer meant was our vehicle assemblers because, in case it had slipped your notice, the Irish assemble, among other things, Hinos and Macks. It is the Japanese machine that is at the point of my story.
That recent statement by TGWU officials that their members would not drive Japanese trucks which entered Britain through the Irish back door is the cause of the trouble. They claim even that Wall's Ice Cream in London has succumbed to the union threat.
So seriously are the Irish taking it that I hear it is not
unlikely that the lrish Road Haulage Association will seek official representations to the British Government. My Irish source claims -The British move is a restrictive action in direct contravention of the letter. and the spirit of EEC law.Not
the stuff to create a constitutional crisis, but interesting enough.
John Harris Assemblers Ltd, of Dublin, are the Hino people_ They, and especially their Liam O'Neill, must feel cosy with the power of the Dail behind them.