CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 249, 15 July 1919, Page 7

CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

, /'- —————v" ■ THE LOCAL-BODIES' CONFERENCE. Messrs. 'C. M. Luke (chairman), W, Cotton, 'W; J.' Gaiidin, A."Hunt, : 11. Tolan, L. 'Nelson,- and J. Hardie-Shaw wen; present at a meeting of the council of tlie Central Chamber of Commerce .held yesterday afternoon. . Commenting ■ generally on the recent conference of' local'bedies held in Wellington,.' the president; remarked that the degree of earnest attention given -.to the subjects, under discussion : was most encouraging and; gratifying. He did not laiow that het had over attended- a con-, ference yliich was so -successful and at which there had been • manifest s'uoh a fine unanimity of opinion. • . Mr,. Hunt -also referred to the entire success of the conference. - From = his point of.view the-most-important tiling whs ..to .urge upon tho Government the setting,i;p of the.commissions relerred to in the resolutions which -had been passed, ,chiefly, the commission of - business men to report iipori the various, deviations .in' conjunction, with the engineers. '".Mr. W. Cotton thought.that, the conference should be an annual one.-

Mr. L. A.. Edwards thought, that the conference was one of the most, important ever held in Wellington. It was now for'them to. carry into effect the resolutions : passed.. .'.There . was. no reason why. an hour should go by before they took action. .. '

• The president' moved that ill'; full report be referred. bnck to Mr, Gore for condensation and; consolidation, and that tlie resolutions 1)6 siibmitte'd to the Prime Minister'and Sir Joseph Ward on. their •retu'rii ffbiii till)' Old Country.' '''

: -Mr. Edwards suggested" that the condeu/3ation"shmiUr be referred to n com- ■ mittee: :■ Oh the"friotion"of- the'president. Messrs. \B. 'A'. Edwards, A. Hunt, and C. M. Luke:-were appointed the .committee.

■If iva's decided 'that the report of the conference bo" : prinled as sooii- as possible.

. It was. announced, that the expenses of the confereiico ive.ro to be borne equally by the bodies represented thereat. The secrntaiv Hto»shl; that it would amount to about £2, from each 'of tho bodies represented. •

■The finaneS-'statement showed Us. 3d. at tho bank, tho lettings due were £7'is. 6d„ and the subscriptions duo amounted to .£2OO Bs. fid. Accounts for payment amounting lo .CM 2s. Id.'were passed for payment.

In answer to'a'letter forwarded by thn chamber to the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald), the following reply was received:— "I'regret to hear thn,t an oninion exists that ■ farmers have' difficulty in - securing advice rcgnrdinir tho treatment of soils. This is certainly not' in accordance with' the-established practice of the Department. Ib'e officers of which are always only too glad to advise farmers in everv way possible as lo the treatment of-tlieir soil, and; further,'to carry.out .analyses of soils, .w-hen necessary. These analyses are carried out for farmers free of charge, and 'farmers are encouragNl fn- seek' advice from 111'; Department in all matters' bearing 'on tlleir farming oneratinns. - There is nothins <o be gained by the indiscriminate sending of soil samples from ■ farmers without these samples'-having been collbeled in* a proper- wny. and being representative of the general soil conditions of I he farms -from ■which -fliev are dwivd. b'it: tlif officers 'of-the Fields Tnstrnd ion Branch, which .is ik'.v. '.cinff onjanisivt as ;( new-sect ion of the Department, will-give special, attention to this mnt.'er in'■■order to aid ■farmers on practical lilies bv personal- advice and.assistance." _ ' ' Tho letter was received. ,