CHAMBER OF COMMERCE –

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3080, 10 May 1917, Page 6

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE -

.ANNUAL MEETING TRADE OF THE DOMINION The annual luncheon and meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday. The president (Air. James Macintosh) was in tne chair, and those present inoluded the Hon. W. H. Hemes (Minister of Railways), Hon. ji. L. Herdman (Attorney-General), Mr. SI. W. tfalton (His Majesty's Trade Commissioner), Mv. C. K. Daniell (chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board), and Mr. C. M. Luke (president of tho Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce). The chairman moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, which have already been summarised in The BoiiiNio.v. ltrierring to the trade ui jN«!-.v Zealand, ho suui ihiit Hie staple exports had kept well up in bulk, while tho values haU increasod. It was a notable lact tuat during the two years 1914-15 and 1015-16 the exports had vs. ceeded Die imports by no less than O:22,«K),000. it appeared that the number of bheep and cattiv in New Zealand had been well maintained. 'lhe general outlook, from a paatorai poiut of view, was. deciuodiy goud, ljut a fact to be laced was the' uncertainty with regard to shipping. Everything hinged upon the provision of means for the conveyance of A'cw Zealand's products tu the markets. Given sufficient ships and sufficient labour, the results of thu' coming season should be as good as thoie of the season that had closed. Thu supply of both ships aud labour depended upon the exigencies of war. The ships were entirely under the control uf the Imperial authorities, aud ho knew that .the labour question was being considered seriously and sympathetically by tue Government through tho National Mciency Board. He hoped that the Government would mark the two matters a& urgent, to be settled as quickly as possible. ■

ilr. -Macintosh referred to the increased taxation imposed in connection with the war, and to the* recent delibera--1 ? ?£ tlle Associ &tion of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce. After dealing in some detail with the question of 'after-war trade, ho thanked the members and officers of the Chamber for the support that had been given him in his official capacity. Finally, he appealed to members of the business ■community who were not yet members ot the Chamber\to join and lend their "O"™ assistance in the important work that-the organisation had in hand. '

A Note of Warning. * i\lr. ,r. G. Harkness seconded the motion. He said that the report suggested to him several points that required attention It was gratifying that the balanoe of exports over imports, should be ? s t lP as Vae oHioial & S° Tes indicated, but the figures would be a great deal more gratifying if they indicated increased production and not merely war prices. The exports of wool for the past season actually showed a decline of i per cent., but the value increased by £i,7iS,m Money had been flowing into New Zealand not because the country had more goods to sell than in past years, but beoauee the prices of primary products had been driven up to levels never before reached by the war necessities of fhe belligerent nations. He would like in this connection to sound a -note of warning. The present condition of affairs was going to have a disastrous .effect upon New Zealand. The dearth of labour and the prohibitively high prices of such farming necessities as fencing requisjtes, roohng iron, seeds and manures, were causing deterioration of the fertility and productivity of the New Zealand farms. Ho would not say that there was going to be a diminished output in the future, but there certainly wae going to be a loss of the natural increase which would have taken place under normal conditions. Then there was the matter of imports. New Zealand .people prided themselves on the volume of their imports as an indication of their prosperity, but it was a fact that a biir section of th« imports consisted of luxuries. The people were spending on. luxuries much of the money produced by war prices. Referring to the shortage of tonnage, Jlr. Harkness said that . the position undoubtedly was very serious. The submarines were exceedingly active,, and the Imperial authorities were being forced by the exigencies of the war to organise the available shipping. New Zealand was 13,000 inile3 from the market, and if the Imperial Government felt ;t neceseary to send the ships to producing countries that lay nearer the.United Kingdom, the decision would have to be accepted. But ths loss to the Dominion would be enormous. In conclusion, Mr. Harknese mentioned the war. He had no doubt that the-victory was coming to the British Empire, and he looked forward to the day when the statesmen would be free to face the post-war problems' The motion was carried.

The Mercantile Marine. On the motion of JJr. C. M. Banks, the meeting resolved "That this Chamber should... place on record its fervent appreciation of the heroic deeds and unfailing courage and patriotism of , the members of the mercantile marine.during the present war, and recognises their unceasing services in great peril and hardship, tendered by them for humanity and the Empire." The Ministers. The chairman proposed.the toast of "The National .Ministry." He said that before the war, in the days oi party, two things had been done—one by one party and one by the other—which had enabled Ke\V Zealand, small country as she was, to make her might felt.and her name known throughout the world. He rot'erred to the gitt to the Motherland of the battle-cruiser New Zealand and the formation of the Expeditionary Force. With these two historic events wpuld always be associated the names of Sir Joseph Ward and Sir James Allen.

"Just think of the work done," said Mr. Macintosh, "the raising, training, and dispatch of contingent after contingent, the thousand and one things, connected with all this, the organising; of our resources, the conduct of affairs generally under wholjy exceptional and very trying circumstances, and tell me if you "do not agreo with me in saving that we have every reason to l:e proud of o\u" Ministry and the work they have done. AVe are all too apt to overlook the good work done, to forget to make allowances for the strenuousness of the times and to magnify what we disagree with. To criticise is easy, -but criticism is seldom, if ever, fair, lor the critic is rarely in possession of all the facts. Sujoh criticism of onr Ministry, ae 1 have heard, or read, has been on minor matters only. In the main, what they have done has the approval of the great majority of the people." The Hon. W. H. Heirics and the Hon. A. T,. Herdninn replied to the toast, which was honoured with enthusiasm. . Mr. R. ■ AVaterhoiisc proposed t"« toast "The Visitors." Mr. Ballon, His Majesty's trade Commissioner, in the course of his reply, paid that he was very deeply indebted to the chambers °of commerce throughnut Now Zealand lor the assistance .they had rendered him. He • had found them on all occasions ■willing to give him all Uic information at their disposal, and to co-operate heartily ™ furthering the interests of British trade. Mr. Dalton referred at some length to post-war trade. Wellingon's Faults. Mr.- C. 1» Manicll, chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, said that as a country man he felt that the business liieii of tho city showed a certain lack of enterprise. The people of the country were working with an enthusiasm that was hardly understood in the city, 'they were facing difficulties of a most serious character owing to the shortage uf labour and the high prico of necessary materials, but they were willing to do all that lay in their power to assist in the winning of the war.

The fact that the export of wool had declined only 4 per cent, in spite of the withdrawal of more tliau* IiO.OOO men was a. record ,of which the country, could be very proud. The Wellington people were showing a lack of eaterprise in several ways. They, irere failing to secure proper provision for the techI uical training of the children. They , , had been content to let a prison be placed on the Mount . Cook site, the niosi prominent and best sito in Wei- , lington, and now that prison was used , for military purposes. Hβ thought a< new and adequate technical school ought to be there. Then there was the ques» tion of preparing for the- return of the soldiers. Some sixty acres of water , had been handed over to the Bailway Department for reclamation at the Thorndou end of the harbour, and the reclamation of that area was now being discussed. The matter ought to be pushed forward, in order that Lhe work might be undertaken when the returned soldiers were looking for work. A new and adequate railway station could then be provided, und the railway line that spoiled tho waterfront and cut off Courtenay Place- from the harbour could be removed to make room for harbour facilities. Mr. C. M. Luke, president of the Cen- ' tral Chamber of Commerce, also replied. The health of the chairman was proposed by_ the Hon. W. H. Hemes, and Mr. Macintosh replied briefly. Ordinary Business. The following council was declared! elected:—Jleidra. W. J. Bridson, D. A. Dwen, J. ti. Harkness, V. W. Manton, H. W. Moss, J. B. M'iiwan, W. f. Cuthbertson, it. W. Waterhouse, T. Balliuger, James M'Lellau, C. li. Eichurdsou, and J. 1\ Mills. Mr. C. \V. Powles was re-elected honorary auditor. Alter some discussion the following amended rule was adonted:—"The business of the Chamber snail be managed, by a council consisting of twelve elected members chosen from among the general body of members and elected as prescribed by tho b;' laws, and representative members, who shall l>6 appointed annually by such mercantile, industrial, and other associations as the Council of the Chamber, by resolution, 6hall_ from, time to time approve. Each approved tssociation shall be entitled to appoint from its own members one representative member to the Council. The Council may revoke its approval of any association'." The chairman explained in the course of the discussion that the broadening of the basis of the Chamber in the manner suggested in the motion would do a great deal to extend the influence and strengthen the activities of the Chamber by bringing it into direct touch with other business and industrial organisatjpns.