LOCAL COMMERCE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2160, 28 May 1914, Page 3

LOCAL COMMERCE

THE YEAR'S RECOKB

OF THE WELLINGTON BODY JUBILEE MEETING. The jubilee Meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was held in the Chamber, Customhouse Quay, yesterday. The ptesitleirt (Mr. C. W.'jojies) occupied the chair, and amongst those present were; The Mayer (Mr. J. P. i/uke), the Bon. C. II." Luke (president ot tlie Central Cfetoher of OasimoKe), Mr. C. E. Danieli (president of the Masterton Chamber af Commerce), and Mr. P. Barr (secretary of tho' Dunedin Chamber of_ Conifflerce), Tho meetiftg -acae preceded' by i&fc usual luncheon. At the conclusion the president delivered an interesting address, touching on many matters of interest. Briefly referring to the financial world, he said that twelve months ago their president had. said: "Money is dear, and promises to continue so>" bat, since then, the financial outlook had greatly improved. That was betiefloia!, not only becatise i| hastened the, openmg up of their.national resources, but st)ll_ more, m Ms opini&n } because, il diminished the local borrowing by manicipalities, harbour boards, and'so on, of which there had been too; uracil lately.

The Mayor; I do net agree with yern (Laughter.)

Imports and Exports In Relation to Public Debt, "There is.ftne aspect of ottr national trade," continued tho president, "on which I might offer a few remarks. On page 3 of the Chamber's report (already published) is a Aab-le, ffiade np to Sqj-t-ember 30, giving the total exports and imports for tho iast five years, aud the excess of. experts over intjiorte in eaeli year. In IDOS-9 the eseess in reand figures was £?,7o&iO0O: «i 3,900-10, over £5,750,000; itt iOiO-ll.'it'teO to a little qver £1,250,000; in.'191142 it. again tell by £200,000: and in 1912-18 it was only £800,000. Now, as tto have to pay the interest <m oar foreign debts (as well as , the cftstof our imports} by our exports, and as the interest oh our forpign debts ftsust bo somewhere in 'the neighbourhood of. a Jear, it might appear, on a su.periicial glance at these figures, that our financial position i is not as stable as'eftuld be wished. But a little reflection will show tb.at no- such inference c4n k> drawn, For one thing our fresh loans come OWt to us in the shape of goods, and so swell our sinports. Another sowce ef misunderstaitding lies in-the fact that, white tile value of our imports may be roare iess i accurately arrived at by (neails of: Customs invoices, the Values given of < our exports are largely a matter of 1 guesswork. Wh#t tfej- actually rea.lise . at Home may be cMtsi:dera=bl,v iiigher or lower than the take'given in , tho export entry her*. In wool aloiio this difference may run into a ttiil&ft- or so, and there is-no doubt tijat ht the year 1912-13 the wool sent Home for sale" did not realise much mere than it was valued at here. It is dear, therefore, that no satisfactory. • inference in either direction can be draten from the t-iible in the report, but-, at the snme- time, it will probably be admitted that it would be moro pleasant reading to' see a I greater excoss <if e-xjiofts over im-jjEsrts," Mr. Jones movprj tlio ado-ptfen of the report and balance-sheet.

;.Mr. J. Macintosh seconded the. motion, and complimented the president on ' tho able manner in ivhiclj' fee bad addressed the Cha-Uibor. . Tho] address, he said, was full- of. interest, and had evidently bee.il well conSidprecJ. 3Jr. Macintosh added that fee had prctpased t: make some fltrthw retiini-ks. but owing to tho death of Mr. OrW Stevens—a very Boar and dear friend— he would curtaiiUheju.

The American Markpt. Mr. E. G. Wither tekned to tho Vancouver and America* steamship service. Tho services to those parts, ho said, were bound to do 3. great deal of good, and the Go-Uncil ef "the Wek lington Chamber of Commerce should-, lie thought, contijMe to urga a service throughout Now Zeirland, 50 as to doaway with the. necessity, for trftßsWpping. It would be 11 grand thiag to have steamers calling -a-t a.H the. parts. The fruit - industry was another matter which hadbeom touched on in tie annual report. Probably few of thorn realised the extent to which ii was growing. Tho productions d the fruit lands were going to bo a !j% feature in the trade of New Zealand. One thing that- wotiM haw to fee feefcett into by tho Chntnler w.as tra-Hs-hmping at Wellington. There his.i already"be« complaints about the treatment <rf ' fruit in transhipping. Tho visits of commissioners,- from oversea ports, cmj-l tinned the speaker,. l)ad created a'ercsii deal of interest. ' There, was no dotibt that London was to some extent β-oifig 1 to . lose its position »s the only port for Aew Zealand praduco,. for, in addition to Bristol, Snuihaw'pieii wte coming forward as a part foi- New Zoalniwt products.

Extend American SonefitSi Mr. G. ShirtcKffe said th-at Ijo. thought that they all-recDg-ni-sed. the- eiiterprko winch had been displayed by live Union btoainl Ship CompTinft with regiwd to the subsidised lino to Aftl.<?ric* and Vancouver.' They knew ttet'under s-im-e recent represefttatio-iis certain concessions had been made oil dairy prodwe rates. Tho pornt which ho wished to emphasise was that tfte service was looked upon too- ftiueh as a diriiy produce, or refrigerator service, "There were many other , , lines which New Zealand could export, advaittagcously to tho btates, if tho. rates were on a n»re reasonable level. Hemp lied beeft, in the past, an important hew •in their exports but, to-day, it. was langmsJiißg under the liiHueneo of. low Prices in tho markets of tte world. Hβ had raceiitly received a4dce that the JiWp rate from -Manife te Bail Frantiteo was just half what it was foora N»t Zealand to the same port. Ho. tnat, in a heavily subsidised sen-ice provision should fre made, ij-ot enlv for dairy produce ajid frozen meat, kit for other rates, to that -every kdustrv could reap tho advantage ffJiidi was to be gained from fbt service

Wellington's Sea Rivals. Mr. Shirtclifffl also toisdietl on imports and Pxports. Mo said that, hi "a country situated as New Zea\atd was. at present, they \n4 to have a sub. stantial surplus of exports over imports in order to pay the country's -interest! IVado m Wellington ivas gorf at tlio present time, but it was threatened to somo extent by oilier' ports—by Nelson licton, and Waiiganni, wh.ie)i <vo.re farb--in K ahead. It ' behoved W*ffin.trton people to do all ih6y ccijfd to the procliietivenflsa o'l Siveir own aravince, by opening: up the back country. The Visitors, Mr. W. G. Duthie proposal the health of the visitors," and referred to 'the advantage to bo gained (stun such visits. I ho Jlayor, in responding to the toast, said that li« wa.s ihcre iii tke dual capacity'of Mayor <rf the-' eity, anil as one of ilip active metitWrij of t!io Cliambei- of Gonnnerce, Ho congratnlated tlio oljj.jrinn.ii iijMn Jifs a t>tfi remarks. In re nt,v to Mr.'Mantpn. ho said (as one of ihc tmsteoa of tlit? Sfacarllii- Trust) that the trustees bad dona tec] a sum to Victoria College i'or a Chair of ICconomics. H*> agreed with Mr. Sturtcliffe that it was thsir .duty, to see whether of aot they, ceuldlj

expand m order to iwct the loss in ■skipping which wonkt be dircrted to oilier ports Oscar Coofc Strait), which tfi'fe malting provision for <js-«rsVas shipping-

Sir. Dmttell, oh behalf -of the Masterton CJiawher of Commerce, expressed appreciation <>f the recognition which had been extended to country chambers «y the Wellington Chamber of ComHioiTß, He ivas glad that interest was at last being takec in tiTo possibilities of the WairaVapa lands. He hoped tliat local rivalry would not mar t-tie effects of the conforeneo lWiich had been bailed joy uie Central Chamber of Commerce, • Mr. V. Barr, Dnmxiin, referred to ■ the suggestion, that a ecsmbiiied Chambur of Commerce should bo formed. He :co«kE say that the fonr tentres, with the exception of Auckland, favoured the proposal. Kb thought, however, that "it would not be long before AuektonS would Vβ agreed as to tho benefit to be gained from svioh a combination. Election of Council. Tfee Mlwviug ttiembers were elected to the council:— Sfesrs,. J. G. HarKness, C. W. Jones, James Macintosh. W. J. BridsMi. W. G. Diithio, W. b! Foster, 0., Shirtolife, J. MacLeilan', W. J. Thompson, R, IV. Waterkottse, % Baliuiger, and F. W, Mantcm.