BOARD OF TRADE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2418, 25 March 1915, Page 6

BOARD OF TRADE

A BIG SCHEME DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER FAVOURABLE REPLY Tlie proposal that a Board of Trade should be established in New Zealand was urged by a deputation representative of the New Zealand Industrial Corporation and of Provincial Industrial Associations which waited upon the Prime Minister yesterday. Mr. J. 15. Laurenson, of Christchurch, was the first speaker. For a long time, he said, the manufacturers of New Zealand had felt that some steps should be taken to increase our industries. Iliey were not quite sure of the steps to be taken until the war gavo them an opportunity to formulate proposals. Tho war, and the Empire understanding or sentiment that had been passing oyer the world had induced th mi to go into the matter in detail, and after a considerable amount of anxious thought and consultation with most of the business men of the Dominion they had formulated a scheme for the formation of a Board 'of Trade and Industries. Of this scheme they had submitted a draft tha Prim# Minister. It embodied tha concrete opinion of the business men of New Zealand, and also of the workers and the women as veil. He could assure the Prime Minister that the workers and the women and the members of the Industrial Association in Canterbury were intsrested in the matter, and were taking it up very keenly. The organisation was to be absolutely non-political. Thoy belwcd that the organisation, if it reached the aim they hoped it would reach, would .be able to relieve the Government of a tremendous amount of work, in that it would collect and supply to the Government all the information available on any given point. It would simply present to the Government the concrete opinion of the men best able to judge. The 6cheme, he repeatd, would embody the hopes and aspirations not onlj; of the employers but of the workers. It was absolutely necessary for tho people of any country to work in harmony. He "cad no hesitation in saying that in the past employers and employees had not worked together. He believed that this Board of Trade and Industries would enable employer and employee to coma together ill a way they had never been able to before, and in this way it would serve a very useful purpose. "A Creat Organisation," Mr. A. R. Sennett was the only other speaker. "We ask you to exert your influence," he said, "to bring into being a great organisation the essential of which is that it should be non-political and non-governmental. Consequently we appoal to yon not as the loader of a political party, but as a patriot. New Zealand is a young country, just entering, as we believe, upon a phase nf industrial prosperity. Ic is not incumbent upon her' to follow the lead of' the Mother Country in the form of her Board of Trade, but Tather to emulate the methods adopted in newer countries, methods which have yielded such excellent results. I refer to those boards of trade, industries, and commerce which are entirely r.on-gov-einmenta!. We ask .vou to form a powerful board representative of the trade, commerce, industries, and distribution, and the workors therein, throughout the Dominion. Our desire is that this hoard should be investigatory and advisory. We wish it io possess not only latent powers—that is to say, that it should not act merely when called upon by tile Government —but we wish tnat it may liave kinetic energy, or, in other words, that the board shall be always at work not only ill one centre but in all the four capital cities simultaneously The constitution of the board has been given much careful thought and mature deliberation. The scheme we propose - demonstrates a simple means of getting an organisation which would onablo our objects to be carried into effect. The matter is of national importance, and it is right and proper that the expenses of it should be borne by the Dominion'. Nevertheless we are prepared to subscribe towards its establishment and upkeep, but we look to the Government for a handsome subsidy. Tho Money Difficulty. Mr. Massey: Did you say "a handsome subsidy." . Mr. Sennett: Do you wish to have our views on that question? Mr. Massey: Yea. „ . , x Mr. Sennett: Well, we think that seeing you liaye an Agricultural Deparment which costs £200,000 a year, for the proposal that we place before you if you should give us a subsidy or, say, one-fortieth of that amount we should be pleased. Mr. Massey: I see, you ask that your board shall be non-governmental. Don t you think it is unfair to compare your case with that of a Department already in existence? It is not a fair analog. Rather it would be fair to compare it with the Board of Agriculture. Mr Sennett: But.this hoard will be different from the Board of Agriculture. That board is purely advisory. This board will have executive powers. Mr. Massey: You are suggesting that it shall be more than advisory? Mr. Sennett: It should have powers of investigation similar to those of a Royal Commission. It should be able to call for papers. As you see there are to be numbers of advisory committees, and this will involve expense. All the services of members will of course be given free. The only personal payments will be those of the staff.

\s regards its being non-governmen-ta'l, this is essential. Nevertheless we will welcome governmental repreisontation. For example, the very first thing we should like to say is that we should be delighted if'you, as Minister of Commerce and Industries, were to be the first president. To that extent and perhaps in other respects it would bo governmental, but what we want to prevent is that with a change of Government the policy of the board should be altered, and 'the work in progress interrupted. Mr. Massey: You don't want it mixed up with party politics. I think you are quite right there. THE PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY. GENERAL APPROVAL. Mr. Massey replied favourably. "I should like to tell you," he said, "that the subject is not new to me. I have had it in mind for a very considerable time, and I have expressed opinion in favour of it both in the House and on the platform. Other countries have been doing something similar to what you propose. In Australia they have an .'liter-State Commisl sion. This inter-State Commission is, however, scarcely on a parallel with your proposals. It consists of three iiiyjily-paid officials—the chairman receives £2500 a year, and the other two members £2000 each per annum, I think. ... It appears to me that tlio powers of this Commission cover practically all that you are trying to get, but in another way. . . Again, in the lutitod States they have a commission working on tho same lines with a very much larger body. How to Constitute the Board. I understand that you propose a Buard with something like 40 members.

Well, I should like to know how you propose to elect or appoint them. Jlr. Sennett: Thoy will he elected by the industrial associations and trade organisations principally. Mr. Massey: What about the representation of the commercial people? Mr. Sennett: All the important commercial and industrial people are in the industrial associations or the Industrial Corporation. Mr. Massey: You don't think it would bo necessary to ask chambers of commerce to elect members? . Mr. Sennett: We want the best men possible. We don't care how they may be nominated. Mr. Massey: I think the number you suggest is too large. Mr. Sennett it is spread over four cities'. Mr. Massey: lam thinking of the Board of Agriculture. It is limited to Iwolvo members. Mr. Sennett: The acting committees will consist of only six each, or 24 in all. Mr. Massey: I am thinking that you are going to have something like an industrial Parliament. I am not speaking tn disparage ail • industrial Parliament, but if you get 40 members together you are going to. havo much of your tim# taken up in talk. Mr. Sennett explained that the organisation would be somewhat on the lines of the British Association of Science. In that body the Grand Council did not do bio re than approve tho work of the committees. Powers Deßned. Mr. Massey: You .say that you want a,_ Board with more advisory powers. You don't want to take the place of the Government? What other powers do you suggest? Mr. Sennett: Wo don't ask for judicial powers, but only power to take evidence. The functions of the Board that we ask for will be- always investigatory, with power to adviso when it is asked to advise

Mr. Masscy: To bring such a board into existence would require legislation. lam in sympathy with it, although we may differ in. regard to details. I have no. doubt we shall be able to work out something that will so in tho direction you are proposing. Prior to the meeting of Parliament I think it would be a very >;ood thing if you set up a small committee to meet me and discuss what it may bo necessary to bring before the House.

Mr. Semiett ; That's exactly what wo had in our mind—say, the presidents of the various associations. We will appoint tho committee you suggest at onco.

Mr. Massey: I have not tho very least doubt but that we shall submit proposals that will meet with the approval of Parliament, but wo can't allow' you to go in for unlimited expenditure. We are watching tho purse very carefully now.. After the deputation a representative of The Dominion waited upon Mr. Sennett, the organiser of the movement, m regard to the contents of the draft of tho constitution which had been submitted, and which the Prime Minister had been considering. Mr. Sennett said—as he had explained to the Prime Minister—that tho general mode of carrying on the work of the board had been modelled upon the lines of the British Association of Science, on tho Grand Council of which Mr. Sennett sits. The council conducted the general affairs of the association, whilst tho work at tho meetings was carried on under different "sections." Each section having a president and' a committee, whilst again the executive work was carried on by advisory committees, which latter worked throughout the whole year and in different towns. The great advantage of this system of decentralising of the work of the board to Now Zealand is at once apparcut. Not only is it intended that the board shall sit in each of the four capital citisi at least once a year, but m addition executive sub-committees would sit continuously in cach of the. four centres. The board would consist of tho council, a central executive committee, executive sub-committees, a president, and a vice-president. Advisory committees would be appointed by the board, and it is intended that as soon as may bo the following advisory committees will be set upCommercial, chemical, education, employees, engineering, finance, social, imports, manufactures, mercantile, metrical, shipping, statistical, technical, transport, and weights and measures.

The general business of the board, would be conducted by a director, and there would also be a general secretary and a statistical clerk and a librarian. There would be lecturers and instructors in commercial and industrial economics. The work of these lecturers would not be confined to the four cities, but they would visit the various centres and districts, and there discourse upon economics, trade and manufactures, distribution. industrial co-operation, and such-like subjects. They would also impart any information which might be desired of them by those engaged in the various branches of trade, manufacture, and distribution in the towns and districts through which they travelled.