CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2147, 13 May 1914, Page 10

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

: . ANNUAL. IIEi'ORT. I [ The annual report of the Chamber of Commerce, issued yesterday, is an ad- , mirnblo epitome: of the commercial pro- ; Kress of the past year'of the Dominion ; generally, and Wellington m particu- ; lar, aftd its compilation reflects credit ;on the Chamber, and-its secretary (ilr. H.. J). Vicfcery). The. report gives <le- , tailed particulars'of-the, espor't's' -and imports ,lor the past four'vears, the* fi»- " -ures .being-matte up to September 30 of | last,yMr, and gives a- compnrisan of tho values of..exports'.and imports for tho four chief ports .of ■ the Dominion. In exports Wellington leads with pro- ' ducts to tlio value of £13,779,057 "lor ■■ Y l6 , triennial period, as against ' Auckland's £ .0,510,115, ■ In Sports Auckland leads with £18,165,251 ■'• a x s ftgai-nst- Wellington's £10,238,2,ie.' 'Dmj nig the. same period the sum of £2,574■080 was collected in Customs • revenue ; ns against-.£2,6(19,266 collected at Auekland, Uospeehng the toiinapo of ves- ,• s a " ( 1 "Mnstinse" 'eoin- ; bined) NVolrngtoii-easily l»ads her rival i of the north. Dniing 1912 tiie tomiaco • eniorcd mat Wellington was 2,SSO 48' a' as compared with 2,200,000 at Anck- ' land. ■ Krferrjjig to cable rates, the report • S r y !'"77 has been » a do . tint tire Pacific' Cable Board is fanwirably disposed to reduee the rate for cable messages between- New Zealand and the United Kingdom, via Pacific t irom 3*. to 2s. Bd. per word. This is understood to be the otiteotno of a mo- ; tion ■ tabled by this Dominion's repre-s-entatire on .the board. The svstcm of .week-end cable messages has' proved successful- By this service a message xvmten in plain langtiagn is dispatrhwl t<> the cnWe companies for onward transmission by them anv hour afto ■ nudnigM on Saturday, and delivery is effected by posting by. the night mail on Monday. The rate is Used at M. per word, with a minimum- charge gf 18s. "There is no matter whiclt lias been 1 of greater interest to New Zealand producers and exporters than the remarkabie growth of .trade with Vancouver, and the possibility of trade, development with the Western Coast of the United States of America. There has been an awaking development in this trade during the past two years, particularlv in dairy produce, which, is illustrated bv the following increases in shipments of butter from the" Dominion :— 1910-U. 191.1-12, 1912-13. " 9800. boxes n1,512 boxes 108,230 boxes j. Improvement in tho freight facilities to .ports, en .the .Pacific. Coast is one of the.most .important matters which eonfrbnfs ihi) N«w &alandcr prodiicer. At the present tima.the.Government of «e.w .Zealand,is subsidising the Union »Steaih...Ship.. Company, Ltd,, for two i services, ciie to Vaiiconver, • and tlw ; other to' San Francisco; the,subside in «ac,ts case being,£2o,ooo a year., "Tho ; contracts provide in each lnstaue* for ' four-weekly sailings from New Zealand. ' Tire New Zealand ports of departure i and arrival for tlifl Vancouver service is ; Auckland, and for the . San Francisco service Wellington: the steamers in both instances running through to Svdn°.V. ,-. ' ' • " In. both contracts the maximum ratrs of ffcight, cknrgeable bv the shipping company are stipulated, 'and in the ;>ase ' of .the Vancouver contract there are oer- 1 fain provisions whereby space- is . first ' tobc offered to New ZWland shippers, 1 but the contract provides that export- 1 era shall tender oil September 1 for < bookings during the ensuing;' twelve « mouths. " i The dairy section of the clUimher, to- ' gether with other exporters interested ' iu this trade, have had many meetings ] to discuss the matter. There' lia\e | been iiitei'views with the Union Steam ! . Ship Company and with the Govern- . lrioiit. . i .Other matters dealt with in tho re- ; port are the dairy protltk'o trade, tlio j benip trade, access, to Wairaiapa, i)\e '' London dairy pro'dtioe contract, tho I Panaata-Pneffie Esposition, visit of ! Commissioners from America, .Hull, ami ', t*ohdon.- Gils'toifts laws, the second Main ', 'i'Tiink express, hills .of lading, Te Aro s ra'ihvay, steamer services to the South i Boa- Islands, and the killing of epos- ] sums, The revenue account shows that the ! sum-of £5t 9s. 9'd. was deducted from ', the accumulated' fund to meet the ex- , cess ,' of oxponditure ' over ; in- \ enrne. .for the -yeaf, ~- occasioned, ( donbtkss, by- the chamber's eon- i tribution to the strike, defence fund, j The 'assets' of the. chamber total £1104 ' 13s. 3d., of which £1085 7s. Sd. is re- ,] presented in moneys .on ,deposit and ] cash its hand. On-the. liabilities side , there.is shown the amount of £216 16s, j sd'. due to sundry creditors, * :