Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-01
AMERICAN CARS
HIT BY ENGLISH
IMPORT TARIFF
Foreign Competition Prac.
ticaIIy ThrottIed to Permit
Home Concerns to Re-
Establish Themselves.
FORBES w. FAIRBAIRN.

London, May 3l-Very few Amer
ican-made automobiles will find
their way to England this year. The
government has figured it all out,
and besides 80 % per cent tax on
every car which is brought in a ra-
toning program has been ordered
whereby only a certain number Of
cars may be imported each month !;
the importation based on pre-war
deliveries.
The scheme, as announced in the
House of Commons, allows those
firms who were bringing in cars
prior to 1913 to import to the extent
of SO per cent of the business of
that year on provisional monthly
basis for the five months from April
to September.
Why Bars Are Up.
The upshot of the whole plan is
that there is small hope of the Amer
lean cars in any quantity reaching
the British public this year-which
is just the point. The British man
ufacturer must be protected and this
plan seems to work excellently, to-
ward that objective. He will Have
time to reorganize his plant and
machinery, get away from his war
work, settle down to a peace-time
bsais and get into the competition
for the British market.
After September l there will be.
apparently apart from the tax, no
restrictions at all on the importa-
ton of cars and accessories. Even
then the foreign manufacturer will
be unable to flood this market, as
there is car shortage in every
country But toward the end of the
year the imported car will be seen
here in greatly increased numbers
and by 1920 B1itish competition will
have to be in full swing to get its
share of its own market.
Low-priced, standardized cars in
quantity numbers are necessary in
Britain The car for the middle
classes is the essential necessity, and
the manufacturer that first intro
duces such a chassis on the market
will assuredly command immense
sales.
Industry Dislocated.
The motor industry in England
has been dislocated during the war.
1t needs this measure of protection
to enable it to establish itself once
again. Undue coddling at the ex-
pense of the purchasing public,
however, would prove disastrous to
itself. For nearly five years the mo-
torist has been unable to purchase
car; the waiting lists of the great
motor companies contain orders
that will keep them busy for nearly
three years on a pre-war basis of
manufacture.
The dislocation of automobile
manufacture during the war was
disastrous in way, but there were
some compromising gains. Some
firms which were in such a precari
Gus position in 1914 that in the ordi-
nary way they would have probably
gone under altogether are still in ex-
istence. with much brighter pros
poets simply because the war opened
up the way to prosperity. The ma
jority are stronger financially than
four years ago, due to the enormous
amount OF government work given
out.
The British public does not seem
to be averse to some reasonable
measure OF protection in the way of
taxation being given to the motor
industry, although to an American
manufacturer one-third is quite ex-
cessive. but in return the Britisher
expects the industry to meet future
open competition by the superior
value and the low cost Of the home
produced article. The public has no
inclination for a closed home market
with a demand in excess of supply
for, some years to come, and it has
made up its mind not to pay excess
sive prices, which are the rule at the
DreSert time