TRADE AND COMMERCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 27, 26 October 1917, Page 7

TRADE AND COMMERCE

ANNUAL REVIEW

fer CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The annual report of the Centra I' chamber of Commerce reviews in brief those subjects which have been considered by the chamber during tho year, » which have, in most instances, been Mir'y fully reported in Iheso columns. ■ .The following aro extracts from the report, which are, more or less, of current interest:—

i Loss of Shipping. * "The council agreed to co-operate with i ttha Canterbury Chamber ot' Commerce , in urging upon the Government .to move in the direction that in negotiations for peace enemy Governments should be com- • pelled to replace 'ton for ton' 6hips do- ■ 'stroyed during the war. Your council suggested that tho principlo of reparation should also apply to the lives and cargoes lost on such ships. In view of , the fact of the resolution in the original form having been agreed to by 217 Cham,t>ers of Commerce it was impossible to -add to the wording. New Zealand Forestry League. ' , "Your chamber lias joined the New . Zealand Forestry League, a body that vas formed recently having as part of its object the matter of. impressing upon the public the absoluto necessity for the Government to institute a 'separate Forestry Department' under a trained forester,, in order to demarcate our forests, ' save native bush, coutinue tho present .planting of waste • lands, to encourage iprivate land owners to plant suitable •trees for timber and firewood, to. secure for distribution at cost price seeds of trees suitable for planting in various districts, and generally to out an active campaign of replacing ; the waste [which has occurred in recent years through the destruction of native forests. i Dominion Controlled Shipping. "Your council carried a resolution upholding the principle of the establishment of a Dominion controlled oversea shipping company, and expressed tho \ lope that, the movement now on foot will Meet with the hearty support and assistjpace of the Government and the producers of tho Dominion. War Loan, 1917. ' "An urgent appeal was issued by the council to members of tho chamber asking members to enthusiastically "subscribe toivai'ds the War Loan lo the utmost of their ability. Copies of the War Pros•pectus accompanied the appeal, and it ! as,a source of extreme gratification that I -. the. Minister, of Finance was able to sejcurs a matter of .£15,800,000 within so ishort a period as elapsed from the time .that applications were first invited to tho closing date, September 4, 1917. Tha . tready response by public and private institutions and .members of tlie public v generally is sufficient indication of the : -whole-hearted support which the Govern"...jnent has by. it when an appeal of this ■Jfind is made to the people for the ineang required! to carry the Dominion's ■war burden to a sucoessful result. It is confidently expected that ft similar ready response will be forthcoming when applications are invited for the balance of the. 22 million.loan, which it is expected will be. asked .for about the close of the Dominion's financial year. Commercial Education.' "Ons of the lessons which the' great ;war aow .being waged will teach is the need for a better commercial education en tho'part of the peoplo composing the •British Empire. In this Dominion the matter has been emphasised by different public bodies and it is evident in order ...that tne people 1 of New Zealand may be bfetlor equipped to carry on trade alter tlie war tliat 6onie reform in the Matter of commercial education should lis . devised, i This work rightly comes ■within the province of Chambers of Commerce. and point . was . jjiven. to this ■remark at a deputation representing Chambers of Commerce in London, Liverpool. Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, which waited upon the Might Hon. H. A. L.\Fisher, M.P., Minister of Education, on March 9 last. The 'deputation- pointed out that' the schools, tech-nical-and secondary, shosld-be. co-ordin- • ated with universities as regards the study of commerce with a view of making a Degreo in Commerce, attainable, and further that there should- be a triple £ alliance between' Chambers of Commerce, the civic authorities, and the University for the purpose of,carrying out any practical scheme. The Minister, in his teply, expressed cordial agreement with th# ■/deputation's view' that : a sound growth ol commercial education nrost repose on ja of a~good and thorough system of elementary education, followed -by- a really good general education. It was interesting to note that the heads of large firms now attached great importance to securing the services of men with high honours degrees at. the universities. XVe were still suffering, however, at present from r- very imperfect correlation .botween the . world of business and the world of education. The commercial firms in the country should take more pains to put themselves into Connection ■with tho educational institutions,,so that there might be a free and easy passage from the schools into the firms, and that thej might have a wider interchange of kiiow- ; le3ge. Excess Profits Tax. - "The connoil urged iipon the Ministei tjf Finance the desirability of repealing

tlie excess profits provisions of the Finance Act, 1916, as being inequitable* and . and advocated an extension of the graduated principle tb prqvido the additional • revenue needed during the war. Your (ouucil is pleased at being able to report that excess profits tax has not been re-ouacted in tho l'liwncn Bill, 1017. Trade After the War. "H.M. Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, in a report recently published, lays emphasis on the desirability of British manufacturers appointing agents in New Zealand ah once, and warns tiiem against, deferring until more normal times tho first step towards the preparation of a selling organisation. It is, Le says, an undoubted fact that the manufacturers of certain countries not so much affected by the war have taken tho opportunity of abnormal conditions to endeavour not only to capture trade formerly held by enemy countries, but also to'establish themselves in face of competition from whatever quarter. To this. end they have been assiduously applying themselves to the appointment of agents and tho organisation of soiling campaigns. The Commissioner also advises British manufacturers to explain -to'.customers what thoy are'doing for the war, and how the war is interfering with the ordinary trade. Ho is convinced that the patriotism of tho Dominion is such that a clear understanding between manufacturers and customers will produce a marked effect, upon trade."