I.F.S. Government Plan for Home Motor Industry
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AT the annual dinner of the Irish Motor Traders' Society, in Dublin, on January 17, the Minister for Industry and Commerce (Mr. Sean Lemass) outlined the Irish Free State Government's policy with regard' to the motor trade.
"Licences for the importation of motorcars, chassis, and parts will, no doubt, be issued for some time to come," he said. "But it is the aim of the Government to secure the assembling, and, to whatever extent it is possible, the manufacture here of all the motorcars which will be used in this country." Considerable progress, he continued, had been made in the fulfilment of that policy.
It was true, he admitted, that the measures adopted to effect" the change had, for a time, adverse effects upon the motor trade; There was, however, no reason why, in the future, the trade should not experience even better conditions than in the past, because the use of commercial vehicles was increasing and saturatiO'n point was by no 1 means in sight.
The reorganization of the transport services under the Road and Rail Acts
would have its effect. There was no reason to anticipate that the demand for commercial vehicles would decline, because the growing call for door-todoor transport, which the railways alone could not supply, would prevent a diminution in the number of vehicles on the roads. It was the Minister's opinion that the general growth of industry in the country, which was now faking place, would require a greater supply of internal transport. The task of fitting the motor trade to form part of a self-contained national economy, now appeared partially to have been accomplished with surprising expeditionsAnd with less friction than might reasonably have been
anticipated. •
-Alderman Al fred.Byrne, T.D.. Lord Mayor of Dublin; expressed the hepe that no victimization would result if more monopolies were created under the Government's reorganization pro-, gramme. He drew the Minister's attention to the fact that, since a monopoly had been granted in respect of the Dublin passenger-transport services, the fares had been raised on certain routes.