Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Gibb
As with many Aveling rollers sold to Australia, to avoid higher import tariffs for imported steam rollers (as there was a small roller manufacturing base in Australia that the Federal Government was trying to protect) the agent Noyes Bros imported the rollers on TE wheels, then added the locally made roller components here. Apart from the Works photo of one looking silly with the strange chimney base casting (see Michael Lane's Aveling book), I don't think there is any record of any actually staying on TE wheels once in Australia. If a customer wanted one like that, they would have bought a convertible. It's a no brainer.
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Despite the restoration/conservation/preservation argument here, I think it's bloody funny to see that even 100 years ago, people and even Local Governments were trying to dodge taxes! There's also the interesting issue of local market and manufacturing protection through import tariffs, which strikes a pretty raw nerve at the moment out here if you drive a Holden, Ford, Toyota, Mitsubishi, etc etc
Trying to minimise tax was a driver behind the design of light-weight steam tractors in England. Trying to minimise tax or dodge import duties changed how Aveling exported engines to Australia - that in itself is interesting enough to ensure that the information remains correct and within context of this engine.
Cheers
5th August 2014, 07:56 AM
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