COMMERCIAL MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2015, 24 March 1914, Page 8

COMMERCIAL MATTERS.

CENTRAL CHAMBER; Messrs. C. M. Luke (president), A, IjC.igli Hunt, W'm. Smith, C. Wiisder, Bo'ut. Hall, J,' F, Atkins, T. Bush, and James Keid were present at q meeting of the council of tlio Wellington Central Chamber of' Commerce, which was hekl yesterday afternoon. Jleiiticm was tnailo of the new Imperial arrangement by which the British Consuls iu all parts ci tlio world are to act as commercial agarts awl furnish reports to tlio Governments on the trade and commerce of t-ho. fewintry in which"Slioy are located. It was decided that the- Department of Industries and Commereo should b<? asked that the secretary be given facilities to peruse all such commercial reports that am made available, for publication in the Journal <if the Department, These reports, it was considered, were likely t<s be of value to export traders and others in need of commercial information.

Several letters vero received congratulating the now Chamber on its establishment, itnd wishing it success. . A letter was received from the Dmiedin Chamber of Commerce «üblosin.s; a eommunication from the tis-erpaol Pro, vincial Trade Association, Ltd., in which montkin is made of .certain now clauses which the International Shipping Fedoration propose- to insert'in Mils of lading, will* the object of debiting, owwers of cargo or consignees with tii« estra cost that may bo. involved as the o.uteoßio of strikes, look-outs, or other labour troubles.. The letter was referred to tlio Shipping and Insuraisc« Committee, and the secretary was instructed to foi-ward the Dunedin Chamber n copy of Mr. C. P. Sfccrrott's epinwH on bills of kduig, ■ ' : . Railway Matters. !Flic president reported that lie had waited on tlio Minister of Railways with respect to the weetion of the loftg-pro-paeod goods shed at Tβ Are Railway ■Station.- As a result the president, vice-president, the , Hon. Jt; E. Jeukinson, Messrs. l?eid u.ud BE; A; Ward, had fcocn apiraiutcd as a depata-tion to wait upon iMr. _Hilcy, General Manager of .RaUways, in aecDi-dance ivitli it suggestion by the Minister. As tire result of' a. fetter received from th.e« Mastcrtoii Chamber of Ooniliwrcn asking for support fef the proposed Eiuiiitaka deviation; and the ■biiiklmgof a railway betfreea aiwS Waipukurati to o}ieli tip the exteusive tract of country between the Wel-lington-Napier trank lino and the , -East Coast, the- n-hoio question eamo up for oojisideratioii.

ilt. '(.'. Bash conssiderotl that the question should be approached frbfli the closer settlement point of view before tlaa Government-could, bo, askod to lay down a railway. Tito land max. which .'the railway .passed would be greatly appreciated in value, awl the Government would have to pay a. goto}, deal Wro for it should, it MHisiofer acquisition'af such land desirable for. closer se-ttfem-Mt. . Mr. Hail painted out thjit this people of Miistertow wore divided in.opiftioM as to which of the works was most 'Urgently .iic«d«l—the deviation of this luioatcr tho Eijnutakas or tho pronosed now railway along tte East Coast;

tonally it was moved by Sir. ■ Leigh Hunt, and seconded by Uj. Bush;— "That all Chambers <rf Dommerce within tho provincial district of Wellington be TOmmvmtcated with, conveying the suggestion that a conference of delegates ■of such Chambers bo held in Weffitigtto ■to consider' the' following; questions in &k> itreetests «f tho trade of Weffinfttem —(1)-Railway deviation; (2) brtaeli Mho for opening up tho East Coast lands s ; (3> improvements in main roads, in particular tho improvement of the faekakari'fcj nkck Kimutetta ketones,;; ead the Ngabauranga (fefge for inotor trains, ,, ; - tn tiro course of; the disottssien that ensued members were of opinion, that a very effective deviation fioujd be' made i'rofii tho present. Biututaka inclino' that would, in a measure, .be'independentof Masterton, and would oped up a valuable tract of Country in' South Wjiirafap.a f ,which igjSet present shut ■off from railway Caflmrinica-tSon. ■ . , . Tho president, speaking to. t-lio motion* maintained that pressure i'nijjfct ha hftraghfc ta bear on the Government to open Up the lands to the of Wairarapa, a matter which the speaker said that, lie had jjaiie into recently with Mr. C= E. Daniels, of Mastortoii. Tho Minister of Railways had said that there .-were too many loaafc and bridgms to ■ b? provid*Kl before tho Governmentcould' do anything to- ttat part of the country. If tho Bovettimpnt could not ■do it, W ttiis of opinion that local bail-' ies or 'private persons of companies should bo given, facilities ,to construct Kpbt railways .through the district, Tho motion was carried. American Visitors. A letter was received from' Sir. i\\h}v A. Snowdei, one of tho American trade Gommissioiicrs, iHtijjjatm'g on fechalf of his confreres, Messrs. Kirby and Perry, t'tit they -would' be glad to nicet the fljemhers.of tlie CM tuber and , to deliver an addrcs en tra4e matters.

: ;The Rotariia Chamber at Commerce wrote requesting information as to tho progress of the movement to forni a federation of. Chambers of Cininierte. Mr. Hunt proposed that the CJiamber .fe iivformed that the Central Chamber heartily supports tlie ferlei-aiion. stilwme. 'liiis was seconded by Mr. Hall anct -carried. Several Bow membe-rs were elected.