Warning of Export Competition
Page 31
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AT the Austin " Show " dinner on Monday, "The Company" was proposed by Mr. A. B. Waring, who said that honesty was the best policy but, in any event, the Austin concern read the suppliers' minds and balancesheets. They enjoyed prosperity or would suffer adversity with the company. An interesting aside was that the recent increase in the production of steel in the U.S.A. was equal to the whole steel production of Britain. He paid tribute to a magnificent factory and organization.
Mr. L. P. Lord; responding, remarked that Mr. Attlee had said the Socialist Government had done great things for the country, Mr. Lord wondered what more we could have done if we had been free.
The company had bought land in Australia and South Africa on which to build. There was a little inflation in Canada—they could afford it, we could not. He referred to large Austin contracts for rearmament and warned of increasing competition from Germany, Italy and, later, America.
Mr. Gahey Brown, from Australia, giving the toast of the Austin Motor Export Corporation, expressed great appreciation of Austin products and of his treatment by the company, but regretted the manner in which vehicles shipped were damaged by rattail handling. ' Replying, Col. A. C. R. Waite, MC., said that the company had exported 110,000 vehicles to Australia since the war. Total Austin exports for the six years prior to the war were valued at £10m.; for a similar period since the war the value had risen to £144m.
Mr. G. W. Harrison, C.B.E., gaN," Our Guests," the response being made by Mr. F. T. Connolly.