CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 23, 22 October 1918, Page 7

CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ANNUAL MEETING

SOME INTERESTING SPEECHES

The annual meeting of tho Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce was held last evening, Mr. C; M. Luko (president) occupying the chair. Owing to tho boisterous weather there was only a bare (lucrum of members present. Prior to taking tlio formal business of tho meeting the chairman said he had only returned that evening from tho country. Tho business he was on hail taken him overland from Napier to. Gisborne—tho first car to go through this season. Though ho had heard, for years of tho disabilities of the. settlers iu the backblocks, he had never conceived that the roads could bB so bad as those he had passed over. The car which had preceded them (in which wag Mr. Barton, tho new Magistrate of Gisborne, and until latoly a member of the Chamber) failed to get through. They had found that his car had slid over the sido of the road. Considering the state of the road, it was a-marvel to him that there were not more serious accidents. At 6uch a time as this, when tho Dominion was being called upon to increase its production, ho thought that the settlers should be given proper roads, so that they could increase their production. As it was there were long stretches of unmetallcd road that Were a series of quagmires, caused by springs in tho hills and tho soakage from the heavy rains. Seeing what he had, it was a wonder to him that tho settlers were as patient as they were. The settler who took them in (when the axlo of their car broke) informed him that it cost him 4!5 a ton to bring up his provisions from tho nearest seaport, thirty miles away. How settlers wero going to increaso their production under such conditions, he did not know. He thought that the Government should bo urged to pnsX on with the Napier-Gisborno railway. In the meantime they should, by Mho 1160 of motorwagons, do their best to put 6omo metal on these roads. En routo Mr, Luko was tempted to make , a diversion to see Lako Waikaremoana, and in that regard theits was tho first car to pass over tho road, and the road difficulties wero as great as those experienced on tho arterial road. At the top of the hill the scene tlmt bust, upon the view was wonderful—the magnificence of the bush i and the vast expanse of wafer in the lake were absolutely awe-inspir-ing. Behind the scenic magnificence was the question of 'hydro-electric power from the lake. He nail made inquiries, and found that the lake had a depth of 85ft., and it must have a shore lino of between 50 and 60 miles. It was ono of the essential needs of tho moment

that, they should press on with these water supply schemes, and he hoped that tho time would 1 come when the present or somo other Government would have tlw boldness io bring these schemes to fruition, and so bring a cheap power to the aid of our settlers and the various industries of the Dominion. Mr. Luke said that tho chamber had had its most successful year, and Itat had been a year of great stress, aud ho .congratulated'members on tho position. He traced and spoke upon the comprehensive work transacted during the year. He moved tho adoption of the report. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, who seconded the motion, drew attention to several important (fitestidns which should ,and n-ust claim the attention of tho authorities. He stigmatised what had been (tone iu the way of the destruction of our forests as a scandal. ■' The country had, without thought, destroyed one of its finest and most valuable assets. Another question was town-planning, and tho improvement of arterial roads, which the president had touched upon, was part and parcel of that question. Tlio charging of more car faro to- the man who goes, out to. the suburbs to make a homo than to tho.man who lives in

tho city was u direct incentive to dnve peoplo into the city, when encournge- ! went should he given people to move outwards. Ho was becoming n convert to the. universal fare. Otherwise they were directely encouraging . congestion within the city. Other big cities had that problem to Tical with now and they would have it to deal with very shortly.. Mr. Hunt also touched upon tho' export of primary products. They had organised their dairy produce to -a fino point, but in regard to their wool they were going on in the same way as llj'ey did twenty years ago. They were still> sending heir wcol Home in its natural greasy condition; some of it was simply rubbish, containing 50 per cent, of seed. It was time they took to scouring their own _ wool and sending it Honv in. a condition of purity that would command the very best prices. Mr. L. Aslicroft Edwards spoke on the urgent importance of tho workers' education movement, and ho emphasised tho necessity of a closer' and nioro general application of economics, for without economic knowledge wc could not hopo to make the most of our natural resources and advantages. Mi'. Mapplebeck referred to Japan as a trade menace to this country, and ho referred to the shoddy, manufactures that •were being eagerly imported bv merchants and bought by tho putilic. It was not a fair thing that people who worked for eno-tcnth of what our pcoolo did should he allowed to competo with us. He thought it -was a matter for grave consideration on the part of the (joverninent.

Mr. I'rancis Holmes pointed out in forcible terms the existence of a spirit which masqueraded as' humnn brotherhood, and: wmlj even do away with nationality. He had met people who, when referenco was mitde to the German atrocities, said that the British.had dono tho same; when criticism had been mado of the- poor recruiting in Australia, Canada, and Ireland, said that men should not be made to fight if tlicv did not wish to, and. that nations should be allowed to trade where they liked. Ho' maintamed that such people should be mado to realise that they were endangering tho ■Lrapiro and all that the Empire stood tor He was one who thought that tho neutrals who had stood out of the war should contribute heavily to the indemnities that would be demanded. He had seen a letter from a soldier at the front stating that when they had taken a German trench they had found the ground fitiwn with sacks and bags that had contained British cement-cement which had been sent to Holland and passed on to Uerinaiiy. Without a thought they sat on Austrian chairs, and others used German razors and swore by them. Only the other day in Christcliurch lie asked a man if he were going to import German pianos after tho war. The man had replied: "Rather -we are waiting for them. Thoy'ro tho best pianos in the world." Such peoplo should bo mado to realise that by buying such goods they wero contributing to tho funds of a nation which "had placed itself outsido the ipalo of civilisation—that the purchase of a German piano meant so many shells to be probably fired against us in the future, lhat was tho feeling and thought that they had to combat to tho fullest extent of their powers. . Mr. It. Hart held tho view that they ' could uot despise genuine service from any nation, nor could they denv such peoplo a place in the sun. He was one of those who had dealings with Japan, and he reminded those present that Japan stood now where their ancestors had stood somo time ago, and personally ho did not. think how or why they should restrict tho natural aspirations <if n virilo nation if (hat nation had gomiino eervico to offer that was in tho best interest of mankind.

Mr. Hardio Klmiv said lie could not, agree with (ho last speaker. Ono com. inorcial mail had told him recently (liiit ho intended to import German cameras 'as soon as the war was over. Needless to nn.y, h" had done no further business with lhat party. Neil her did ho intend to do in tho future. (Applause.) The report was adopted.

Tho following council was circled:— Messrs'. CM. .Luke, i\. L. Hunt, T,. A. Jidwnrds. T. Forsyth, If. ,T, Hardio Shaw, W. .T. Gaudin, H. S Hart. B. Mnpplebeck, H. H. Miller, T, AVlson, 'P-niicis, beck, IT. H. Hitler, L. Nelson, TranoTs Hunters branch representatives. Messrs. H. Cook and W. Cotton; auditor, .Mr. j. L. Aretis.

In iinuclus-iun. Mr. A. L. Hunt inovpd a honrl.,v vote of I hanks lo the. rpliriiiß president, and paid him n compliment ■us, lo the. lnnimei' in which lio had presided over (ho meetings of the cluunbcr.