TRADE OF EMPIRE COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1565, 8 October 1912, Page 5

TRADE OF EMPIRE COMMISSION.

— ♦ EXTREMELY HAZY.' Tho Trade of Empire Commission is to - visit New Zealand early next year, and tho local Chamber of Commerce* has been advised that a local representative is l>eing appointed In make all the necessary . arrangements. A letter received from tho Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs (Mr. J. Ilislop) at yesterday's tncctinir of the council, said: "I shall esteem it a favour if you can let me hove your chamber's views and suggestions, if any, not later than the .'tilth (September) instant. 1 regret the shortness of the time allowed, but in Ihc circumstances no more lime is available if the request of the commission is lo be complied with. 1 -hall nli-o lw obliged if your chamber will supply the names of one or two prominent men connected with commerce nnd trade of the Dominion to whom direct application could be made, and who could give evidence before tho commission if required." Tho chairman, in referring to the letter, said it was one that required a'good deal of thought. Ho then dug into the report of the last Imperial Conference in liondon, where, ho discovered that Mr. Alldrew Fisher had raised the suggestion of a Trade Commission, but he had said nothing definito nor much to the point. But Sir Wilfrid Laurier bad taken it up, nnd had said a good deal about British legislation which had been inimical to tho trade of Canada, mentioning among other things the embargo on Canadian cattle. Then the speaker said he had looked up what their own representative. Sir Joseph Ward, had said. He had said a good deal, pointing out how important such a commission was, but in no caso did anyone give the slightest lend as to what the commission was definitely to inqtiiro into—it gave the chamber no lead as to what it. was to do. Mr. Leigh Hunt suggested that tin, matter of transport between countries within the Empire was one thing that: might well be inquired into. On his suggestion, a committee, consisting of llin President, Messrs. W. G. Dufhie, .Tame? M'Lcllan, T. C. Pa\v=on, and A. Leigh . Hunt was appointed lo confer with tin local representative (Mr. M. Kos?).