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THE TRACTOR INDUSTRY.

6th July 1920, Page 2
6th July 1920
Page 2
Page 3
Page 2, 6th July 1920 — THE TRACTOR INDUSTRY.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE ANNUAL SHOW of the Royal Agricultural Society afforded a good opportunity of gauging the progresa of the tractor industry. ln the inatter of quality this progress is satisfactory; in the matter of quantity there is more doubt and, if the industry, from the point of view of output, has not reached the,dimensions which we should like to see, we must blame, not the manufacturer, but, primarily, the Government and a, combination of circumstances that has affected the Government attitude.

In respect of the self-contained type of motor plough this-country-may be regarded as supreme, but this is a type-of machine specially suited for specific classes of service and the demand for which must, therefore, be limited, though it may be considerable..

In respect et the more ordinary type of tractor, we are face to face with very keen competition. Our principal competitors, as we have pointed out on other oecasiona were unavoidably given an enormous pull over the home manufacturer during the war. We do not, for an instant, blame the present B24 Government for the policy which it then adopted ; its predecessor was evidently of the opinion that the agricultural tractor was a sort of luxury, the manufacture of Which could be discontinued during the war without inconvenience. When the pinch came, our own industry, in any case a small one, was so completely dislocated, from the point of view of its normal work, that it would have been absurd to have attempted to depend solely upon it.

The policy of importing on a fairly large scale was, therefore, justified, but it is none the less true -that; by bringing in foreign tractors.and introducing them to our farmers it that time, we were, in effect, conducting the propaganda of the foreigner at our own expense. At the same time, we were preventing our own people from competing..

Later, came the invitation to British firms to organize the output of tractore.. Tho response was prompt and considerable, and the understanding if not expressed, was that the home industry, if the war terminated before it was fully organized, would be given whatever help was found necessary to safeguard it -until it was sufficiently strong to stand on its own feet. In point of fact, the Armistice came along before the plans of this new and organized industry could conceivably have matured. A few manufacturers had gone so far that they could not withdraw without serious loss; others were in a more preliminary stage. The former have been compelled by financial considerations to remain in the industry in which big capital was invested. The latter have for the most part dropped out, though some remain tentatively, producing trifling outputs: and not aiming at rapid development.

This state of affairs is the direct result of the Government's policy of non-intervention. There is no limitation to the number of foreign tractors that can be imported; there is no tariff to assist the home manufacturer, handicapped as he is by high wages raid material costs. The industry has brought its case to the notice of the Government time after time, but the result has always been the same, that is to say, total disregard of its representations. Meanwhile, the foreigner goes on selling to the people who, owing to the Government's own action, were familiarized with his products during-the war. The case is, undoubtedly, a very hard one, though we realize the difficulties in the way of a Government which depends largely on the support of people who are convinded that tariffs are abominable and prohibition Unjustifiable. It is a most unfortunate thing that the future of • what should be a great industry with a big home market, supplemented by a large export trade should be so detrimentally affected by a series of actions or inactions of the Government, which certainly ou,ght to be assisting it to develop up to the point beyond which it would need no further assistance of any kind.


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