CANTERBURY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1647, 27 August 1887, Page 2

CANTERBURY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

CmusTOHUKon, Augußt 26. The twenty- eighth annual meeting o the Canterbury Chamber of Oommerci W3B held to- day. Mr John Oooke, President, delivered a very lengthy ad 1 dress. Jblo compared the produce marketi - of AugU3t 1886 and 1887, m order t< ahow that the spending power of th< ' producer had been seriously curtailed ' The currant prices for wool, however, h< ''■ du-Bcribed as fairly remunerative to thi ' grower. Canterbury had overtaken Oba|?< ' m the export of wool. Hewy ahearingi 1 of wool would be cut m Canterbury anc m moat parta of the colony, After re vfewing ths last Canterbury grain crop he contended that Australia will m th< future require to lean on as to a grea •< extent and that another outlet may bt foand on the east coast of Socth America The introduction of rol.ing machinery into our n mr mills was a' so referred to and the opinion expressed that Canter ' bury fl:mr would Boon take a hi^he | position m the market. The present lov L value of frozen matton m Bnglan J wa ' not to bo regarded as an unmixc^ _-^il ' an average of 4d might be reckon ovjntl low charges. Figures were quoted t: " show the very large increase which hat taken plaoa m the frozan muttoi 1 industry, But the oplCtoir^vrnß Bxpru»no« that m a year or bo they would fiui • considerable difficulty m filling th< ' tonnage. He advocated the cmtlna 1 auae of the restriction on the qaaat tj ' of the cheep sent Home, ao as to preßetvi 1 the high character of the Canterbury ' orosßbred mutton. The importance o \ growing grass seeds for export was urged and it was suggested that the Departmen 1 of Agriculture should device some methoc of controlling the supply of seeds, of ai Inferior character, to the farmer. Agrl 1 cultural prospects were considered satis 1 factory, and increased grain pri-duotioi . of 30 to 40 per cent wbb anticipated, am 1 a hopo expressed that no haraaslnj I restriction would bo placed on thi ' development of the industry which aftei all waa the mainspring of all the rest o ' the colony. The necessity for irrigatioi 1 on the waterless plains of Canterbury wa \ urged. In the new produce markets there had during the year been shipment ' of pelts, etc., to California, of horses t< India, and of miscellaneous supplies t< ' Brazil. Defence of harbors of the colon] * was urged m order to protect our com meroe. Referring to the question o 1 imports and exports, Canterbury export 1 were Urger than imports by £627,893 1 Bankruptcies m Canterbury were 40 fewe; : m 1886 than In 1885, with the prospect 1 that the current year will display a furihei 1 substantial reduction, ie thought th< > extermination of rabbits one of the moe ' barning questions of the day, on; ' regarded the much talked of economies ii 1 the Legislative expenditure, education, ' defence, etc., as trifles c imparßd with the ' importance of preventing the spread of rabbits. Ho expressed profound regret | at the death of Sir Julius Yon Haist and 1 conoluded by expressing confidence m the 1 outlook for the future. i _____ ___ _____ _