CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20179, 6 March 1931, Page 13

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MONTHLY MEETING OP COUNCIL. ~ The. Council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce met - last evening. There were present:. Messrs H. S. E. Turner (president, in the'chair), A. O. Wilkinson, W. Bottrell, J. Anderson, jun., P. Davidson,- J. W. Graham, H; Chapman, W. Machin, B. E. H. Whitcombe, R. H. Webb, A. M. A. G. Cannons, F. J. Shanks, W. B. Carey, T. N. Cibba, A. L. Macfarlane, H. M. Chrystall, D. Stock, F. E. Jones,' A. M. Burns, J. N. Greenland, L. G. K. Steven, V. E. Hamilton, F.. W. Hobbs, and J". It. Smith (secretary). , The chairman reported that a public meeting had been held and a committee set up to assist school children from Hawke's Bay. The Kotary Club had' asked for details of the scheme and had indicated 'its help. The response to the Chamber's appeal had been excellent. ; Mr W. Machin = reported that the Council'B reference relating to proposals for providing the necessary finance for reconstruction in Hawke's Bay had been considered by the Economics Committee. It was recommended to the Council that the i committee be given authority to present a report aauoon as concrete proposals were .made.

The, recommendation was adopted. " Wiring Regulations. The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce wrote enclosing a resolution' of the -electrical traders of that city against the new wiring regulations, which had .had the effect of making obsolete large, quantities of electrical The, Dunedin Chamber has asked the Associated Chambers to use their efforts to .gain an extension of six. months before the enforcement of the regulations. - The question was referred to the Betailors' Committee, - ' Bluff-Melbourne Service. The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce submitted its resolution of regret s at the proposed withdrawal pf the only passenger steamer 'in the South IslandAustralian trade bythe Union. Steam,

, . ,'~J* «' '' *" Ship Co., Ltd. . The Dunedin Chamber had noted .with satisfaction' that the company hoped - to; reinstate theservico towards the end of the year, and. had f .decided, when trading, conditions were' restored, to use its .utmost influence on the Government and the 'company to have the service conducted by at least two modern and suitable steamers. - The letter was received and the resolution approved. , . Of the -Bluff-Melbourne service,. the Associated Chambers of Commerce wrote that from its enquiries' the pervice. would appear to be, advertised by tho Union Company alongside its other services and equally with them.' It was. not easy to make further enquiries without'" definite evidence of neglect. The letter continued: "We understand that the period /of GoveMtfent .subsidy has just expired, or is about'to expire, so that the present is apparently the appropriate time to review the position. Some .investigation ; of .the number- of passengera.'and amount of freight-' carried will probably be made, and it is not unreasonable , to expect that' the' state of public finance as- well i condition-of trade'generally will-become | a ' factor" in determining the terms of I renewal." " . ■; I General' Elections. 1 The" Assijciated • -Chambers of Comiperce forwarded a copy of .the. Prim? Minister's acknowledgment of a resolution concerning the date . of General | Elections. "I note the_terms of the 1 resolution,- and-shall-be glad to arrangei for then; to have careful ■, consideration," wrote Mr Forbes. The letter was received. t ■ • ' . . The' Wheat Harvest. The ABhburton Chamber of Commerce wrote enquiring: what Cojwicil was taking on the possibility of stabilising a price, to 'the' New Zealand producer for.his grain in the 1932 harvest. Mr W. Machin said he hoped that the Chamber would take some Jcognisance, of this matter. It had been announced that the sliding scale of duties would be 'continued -this year. He thought the Chamber would do well to find a way out of the difficulty by ' co-ordinating the of millers, bakers, farmers, and perhaps bankers: North Island papers had compared the costs of bread in New Zealand and-in England, blaming the New Zealand wheat-grower. Such a basis of comparison was com- ! pletely unfair and absurd." | Ho urged the setting up of a commit-. tee to deal with the whole .whea&»qagstion, from the fields to the consumer. Mr jMachin moved a resolution to this effect. • ' " */ Mr'lt. H. Webb seconded' the motion., - The Bural Interests andvFroduce Committees, together with' representative^

of the Manufacturers' Committee, "wore, constituted thu apnial t committee. The committee was. given ; power proack reprepontatii i*a of ihu different interests concerned. 1 ? TU Yiticrican Trade Comaisnoner* (Mr Julian leaflet of ths ; sightj* Foreign Trade' meeting; vill ijn held in Honolulu from Oetobcrlßt until. October tedjfJUSfcU" forwarded & enco would be. held at Washington, ITJ3.A4. fto)tnconnecting steamer left Auckland .on' April 7th, send ■ Deprecation onrßidlding&. '•■' '. J, 7 "'The : mitten, reportedS-? - ■. <sn*j si'loration lo the correspondence supplied, by ths. Associated Chato.b«ra of' Gommnrcb between tne<Dnnedsn Chamber and tlie, committee rocommends to the Council thatrthe Associated Chunbeira.be ad-, vised of its belief t k4t?the, adopted by the Commissioner of Taxes is reasonable, and that the original cost of IraDdings in most cas66"Bh'bt£Ld'bo isfactorily aaeerta^aablQ :> &^,^fWi^^ : records with sufficient accuracy for the purpose* of claiming depreciation. where original cost must necessarily 'be estimated, experience Commissionpr of Taxes takes a reasonable view in each tsase. The committee, therfeore, is' of opinion that .thepe is no; necessity for any alteration- ■- - The tep'o^t" 1 was adopted. ' -1 v > A grass 1 fire in the' grounds' of nofc»* Anne's Home, 429 Papanni 'toad, mi; responsible for the Central, Kre Br& gade. being called out a#aljouk4 pjoou: yesterday. No- damage"' the Brigade quickly put the fire out.