CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 27, 26 October 1917, Page 6

CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ANNUAL MEETING

DISCUSSION ON AFTER-WAR TRADE

The annual meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce was held on Wednesday afternoon in Winder's Building The chair was occupied by t!ie president (Mr. C. 11. Luke). There were about thirty members present. In presenting the annual report t!ie chairman said that the increase of membership had been gratifying. It spoke well for tho interest members took in their own business and in the affairs of the community generally. It was a time when all business men should belong to the Chamber of Commerce, because there were vital questions arising in trade aud eommerca that would have a far-reaching eileet on- ■ everyone in' - the country. During the , year they had tried to grasp the bijf i question of the day to the best of their I ability. They had hoped that ere tins the disastrous war would have been | over, but they were up against a nation which, having reached the highest scion- . tific point as far as our civilisation was I concerned, yet had sunk to more degrad- ' irig acts in the destruction of humwe I lite than were evc-r contemplated cveii Ibv barbaric races of other days. Still tliey had to consider things as they were, not as they would have them, and from that point of view they had helped to do their best in coping with the subjects bearing oil the commerce of the country.. One of the chief points in the upsetting of the world's commerce had been tha wholesale destruction of shipping, but it was gratifying to know tluit Englamt was now turning out ships almost, if- not quite, as fast as .they were destroyed, and thev now could look forward, to tiio tune when tho shipping would'be-normal again. Uiie of the problems of the wains tar as New Zealand was concerned was the matter of the freight charges lor our primary products, and lor goous which the country stood in. - need et, . Another Factor was the financial Ration, and mention was made of the raising or a loan of JEI6,DUO,OOO, i" . addition to which .they had been told that anotliec loan was to be raised forthwith. A Laughing-Stock. Eeference was also made to the urgent need for technical education, and said that the arrangements' - that: existed m Wellington were a laughing-stock compared with what they were elsewhereThe reason for it was that the Government said that the money was needed for the 1 carrying on of the war, but lib maintained that it was the (Huj of the Government to provide the iaciuties for technical education their young men had a right to demand. Hydroelectric power was a subject which nau held their attention during the year, and it was his opinion that the Government should lose as little timo-as possiblo 'in harnessing the water-powSr or the country in order to provide the power-the best, cleanest, and most economic power—for thfl development their industries. He knew no bettei way N . tiian to raise a loan for tbiß and he was sure that the countrj wuld - well afford to pay the Brief • reference was also made to the big que= tion of trade after the war and othn subjects -which have bo.en fl ; ' the council of the chamber during to , year." He had much pleasure in moMii e . the adoption of the report.

Germany's Trade. In seconding, the motion Mr, Kofcart Hall said that he regarded tho trade after the war as the most important Matter touched upon. The history of England showed that she had never placed restrictions in tho way of' tho nations trading throughout tho world. They caU not know that even Germany would not, be allowed to trade freely m the tuturaIf not, how was she ever to pay rny part of the indemnities that would b» demanded of her wore the Allies successful' Anyone in trade knew that peopio would buy in the cheapest market end who could cay now how they would bo buying fifteen years hence? At the samo time Germany's Navy probably would, bo wiped out, and it would take many years to reinstate her shipping. He believed that their attitude towards trado after the war would be very largely dictated by the Imperial QoTornmcnlt Mr. L. A. Edwards thought that the question of trade after the war should have been included in tho aJinual repo.'t. He thought that, however big a question it was, they should deal with it they should educate themselves, so as tq kno« how to meet the great problems of the future. He moved to include certain references to after-the-war trade. in tbe a Members P wished to_ know if there was 1 onv reason why such references should not be included. Tho president said that they had been omitted because they hail been dealt with over and over again and remits on the subject had been s nU J>y the chamber to the Chambers ConfeThfmotion of Mr. Edwards was secended by"Mr. L. Nelson, but was defeated on a show of hands. Germany's Tricks.

Mr. Francis Holmes said the lastU® sneakers had rather astonished him m thek remarks on the.after-the-war'tjues-Hon on which ha held strong vwws. Btfo're the South African \Ur [® ndel ® were called for the carriage of Only one of those , T"hA result Tha WtS e ßritXGarment had to was that the -Dnti— 11 no "stn ftOO and lend the Cunard of i 150,subsidise the con id build such. 000 a year, »o that they Lu6itam a._ vessels as the ,a laure ™' themselves in Were they going to plM* "«"'?; h6 such a X'from Hamburg (not Melhafalter.the; heard with surprise Bo*. ba trade with Geimany., s|. .j able to pay her » Germany that ■were so it wouiii indemnities, but it\ would be paym 0 r j-,j speaker, would H the S\ e J R^;, P , 7aid there referring to ' t g ey should not pass was no, reason wh Lhe instanced restrictive legislat , foreign the betffee n two American ship could trad<?_ k . v , n oper? . ports, .and inbtanc g Company m Honolulu and SanlmnMr referring to shipping litfiWH® meantime, he, msagieeii» ■ „ he Hall, did not see that thej noma was sure that hischild inqu lon British agencies. took U!, the a«th^ Britain had attained 'f ? U P , nan ufac. the world, not her ability to turer, but as 8 K ade {rom other counsecuro, raw materials ir . ng tJiam tries, and either 0 waV) 'and thatpassing them on in .. w(?11 ul The New Council. . to the counci Vjii et B. Mapplebeck, 0. Bart, H. S. «» ' e T t t Edwards, M. Luke, - 4 -^ G ' g) w j.' Gaudin, Lionel wraas&ay ..