COMMERCIAL CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 631, 7 October 1909, Page 8

COMMERCIAL CONGRESS.

' IMPRESSIONS OF DELEGATES. , ; vrsrroßS to new zealakd. I •' , Among/-MtHer.pi^nge?s^!who>• .ariived. ''from, iiSydhey^by yesterday were three' ;'delegates of/ Chambers . of- Commerce who attended the: Empire .Coiigre&s. iri , Sydney. jThe'so • gentUm€n ; 11 are, .il arriner, of -,Christchiirch/_Joh'p ;Harwobd,\ of. Blackburn, England,,..aud' ; E. Davies, ofvPort Elizabeth,. South Africa. ..A Christchurch.-Representative. .••Mr-, Alarritiof;.' -in /.conversation with •,a _ said that, he thought the. coherence, .though, a hurried/'one,' vrould •^.°" a Sreat deaL;of.. good.,' In the-first place, it the, means'of opening the eyes, of a good .many ofthe..English, delegates to the. size, resources, and importance , of Australia ;as . a jwrtion- of, the British Empire. One could :tell that in., many- . cas.es' the preconceived -notions 'hacl ~been.tdeafcri>ye<L:and; before i they .left they .would,,know that Australia was a. .wonderfully &n6- country, worth naving *.nd holding.; ; The, .delegates' received the warmest hospitality/- money. was lavished. in -their entertainmenV.and as. itwas.: the: top of a pheno- , merialty good sckson. they. could. only form 1 one cohclusion7rthatv.it was, a.-groat countryi . • ."One thin£'that..stnick-me. as well as others was the ;harrbw,!6titloqk of 'some, of the' English vrhbse(/ideas, •as'-.fdr a*r one .coiild ■ gather',were-.jjarochial . rather than Imperial lor national •in .character. This was pointed ont pretty brusquely by some • of..the Canadian 'delegates,'; wjb/'#ere' imbued v with th'f 'proper spirit, in which such a congress should meet. 'We don't• waibt./tb' hear'of New- South■' "Wales, Victoria, or Queensland/ thundered a Canadian

t o'ne;day;. Vh«i;'yo\i're;'speakihg of. this 'end ,'of the- Empire " speak of Australasia, not' of bits of it.' ."Ono thing 1.. do think the press .of this, country; should-do,", said Mr." Marriner, "and i that is to try and get mors news into the AustraHan 'papets. • All', the.'time :1 was in Sydney'there next to nothing in the papers about New Zealand.. It is unfair to the Dominion, that, it; should be . neglected, and showed - little : consideration' to. the, army; of people.' in 'that ;city who are! not only 'interested but have interests in New Zealand. " ./ From South . Africa. E. Davies, of Port Elizabeth, reipresented 1, the Associated Chambers of, Compaejce of South ; Africa, in which country he has resided for a I quarter of a century. His. business. is that I of/a corn-miller, and he likes to see the .corn- ! growing., co/qntnes-that h'e.jias dealings'.with, I however. sihaU .that connection may be; -Air. paries•..Km!.ground«',Timar.u: corn—has,had lots j of jt-rbut it.is, he.says, not. hard enough to be I clawed as/the,l?est. In < that,respect it■ is__.no t so gaq'd^.as t the : corn grown in South .'Australia. HTw'intuition iq visiting-New Zealaid .is to seo thY ' sights', of, Jsland more, than jhything fclpe,/ .He, intends '.to ..travel .up. the Wanganui-.. Rive'i; .arid;!have./a look- at.Bbtofua •«i£ Auckland, .]j£f6re leaving the .country,'for

•Africa., ; Speaking .on the.'subjcct/of the recent congress .at Sydney,, .Mr.Davi&s said:—' , ..-.'l think.:tlie; conference.,ha« .dofie good,, if it has. only, afforded,..'us. the chance 'of. rubbing shoulders./with .\6n*e another. - This, codling .together from 'all parts' of., the, Empire must .tend : to. lift people, oilt. .of grooves <uul, give.them a 'tter.'perspective .of the countries visited. The ; visit;.'to ' Australia has .'been .most interesting) iildee'd, I think-that, the, general impression - ' among visiting delegates ivns one/,.0f, pleqsed ;sdrpnse. , „;Thej; ,Md ,all;'been: impressed withtbo size and go-ah£adness of .Sydney and Melbourns, aS ; well ilia the -resources of the country." . -The, Blackburn Relegate. , /.Mr.. John Harwood, .tie Blackburn, delegate, ;^s,hurrying..,to.'Bnglaad.!..-He. came out,by the . steamer. Arawa,.'and is, leaving' for . London by • tho same steamer' to-day. ,'Mr.. Harwood .was a resident of India for over-30 years, and intends to .visit;, that country .again, before the . end of thoi-^ear./'He'left 1 India to sattlo in England in, 1892,' but he COnstnitly felt "'the East a-caljin'" to,-. Kipling put-. it), and. had made over . a ■ aczetf trips there,- usually to avoid the.Jsngljsh .winters, siiice* he gave, up permanent residence there.. He Was now retired, but was still interested in the production of-machinery, for weaving and:dyeing.cotton. .- - - ".The one great trouble ahead for Australia is the labour.. trouble," isai'd Mr. Harwood.'"lt • is.all very well to talk of establishing indns-■triea-ina new country, and at the same time 'JlissT'lawSj'tßgt'-te^tT'to'prevent the probability of reasonable'.profit .on the' 'part y 6f/the.',;man who'is prepared .to.;invest ;: his 'capital./' The ■ way. lobour>laws..are .beingimade now- intimi-, dates .a ; . man. from . starting?,a, manufactory. ,o£'an/ kind,., aid without industries aridnmanu- ! factories /what futurois. there for a/co'ulitry.?". / Mr. Harwood is sure the ctingress has effected a great deal." He'personally has Come to Australia .^with. an open mind, but be: has been surprised and delighted .with , the country, and ' its-fine cities, and waS 6orry -that, he had no tinie'to spend in New Zealand.