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THE VOICE OF COMMERCE

READJUSTING THE COUNTRY'S BUSINESS ANNUAL MEETING OF WELLINGTON CHAMBER , TRADE COMMISSIONER'S ■ OPTIMISM There was a large attendance of members at the annual meeting of the Weilineton Chamber of Commerce, which was held yesterday. Tho chairman (Mr. At Carr) presided, and extended a hearty welcome .to Mr. R. W. Dalton, H.M. Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, who was among those present. Anolozics were received from the Prime Minister ard tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke). Chairman's Atfdres3.

In moving .the adoption of tho annual report. . a precis of which has been published, the chnirman said that probably nt no time had trading been more difficult than during the past twelve or eiehtcsn nionths. The reason wns not far to seelt: it. was probably summed up In the phraßft that it arose out of conditions bearing the natural, aftermath of the Great War.. The chairman went on to outline the various factors which had resulted in larrejy increased prices for commodities. The difficulty of the New Zealand importer today, however, was not eo much the ctics to be paid for goods, but the question of petting goods at any price. In any line of business it was difficult, almost impossible, .to oret either a firm quotation from overseas or a definite commitmont as to shipment.. Some houses would not accept orders at all, while others would accent only subject to approximate dates of shipment, and on . condition f.iat the price ruiid should bo that ruling at date of shicment, With rejard to our. export trade, we n-ero eo far from the markets of the world that this was intimately wranned up with the question of shipping. There could be r.o question , that tho Imperial purchase of many of our chief articles of production was a God-send to New Zealand. It shift-' ed the responsibility of obtaining shippin? facilities from the New Zealand exporter to the shoulders of the Imperial Government. The handling of our export trado during the coming season had, for months past, been receiving the close attention of producers and men interested In the trade, and this week coni'crciiTS were being held to discuss and consider the many aspects of the trade which would inevitably arise. Transport fac'lHies would nlay a leading part in deliberations or negotiations. The coming season would involve financial arrangements for export on a much greater ecalo than in_ pre-war times, and it would seem certain that they would not be able to clear up the coming season's produce before thn neirinmng of tho next season. A noint. J>ext mentioned by the chairman was that the balance of trade had been very much In favour of the Dominion, the year show£j tho largest surplus on record-over

Artifioial Prosperity. Eeferrins ■ to local trade the chairman said that wo were experienrine prosperous times, but this apparent prosperity was to some extent artificial. Very hi*h prices were, ruling, and generally commodities were in short supply. So lone; an the Dominion obtained good prices for its exports so lone would local trade continue to be buoyant. Undoubtedly the abnormal prices to which the value of goodß had advanced compelled a ' disinclination on the part of traders to hold too large fitocue. There had been many warn ins? by prominent public men of the danger of payins hish prices for land, and there was the same danger resrardir.e over-specu-lation in high-priced merchandise • ttocks. The prudent, business man was seeing that In these times of comparative prosperity he was makine ample reserve for any contingencies which might arise. Tho chairman continued with a liopthat there would be some mitigation of the heavy taxation on income and land, which had been obtaining during the unfit four or five yeare; whether it iraa.'nossible for there to bo any iecrcaso -in "the amount o£ taxation levied aeeuj-sd, however, to be problematical. Ap. regards the Incidence of incomei tax he beliced that a small commission, acting with tho ot'ief officials of the Income Tax Department, could readily brin? down within a very Bhort time proposals which would he acceptable to the Government, and not-in-volve reduction in. thi> amount of rov°nuo to be obtained. J3crin#""to i'atation of companies, he considered' therei ivas■ r,n justification for the Department limitinT its allowance on this score to the small amount it now did. Not only wob the allowance inadequate In many instances ■but it was alei conducive to bad business practice. There was the wider Question of policy which was involved in municipal and State trading departments. Ihose departments should.be expected to pay income tax in the same way as any other business concern. This would "enable 6Uch trading operations t= appear in their proper porßpoctive, and bo an inducement to the management in economical working and administration.

Railway Hatters. In common -with most countries, the 'Dominion had had its labour troubles during the year, and regarding the Kailwiy Service and other branches of the I'nbllc Service ho'thought it should be the aim to have efficient and contented staffs adequately paid, eo as to at'fract the best class o£ labour. With regard to the recent railway trouble it was rratifyiug t 0 note that the boards which were to consider the various disputes would be composed partly of business men. Tie felt sure that there -were many experienced business men who were quite disinterested and without political aspirations of any kind, who would willingly (rive their services in matters.of this kind in the general interests of the community. Heverting again to tho question of railways, hto thought it was evident that, if there were to be increases in the coet of miming the railways, tho community would have to face increased passenger and 'freight rates, and in this connection ho thought it was high time that the railway tariff was thoroughly revised. Customs TariffContinuing, the chairman raid that the probability waa that there must bo a revision of the Dominion's Customs !ariff in tho very near future. Some two or three years ago the Minister of Customs, speaking ir. tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce, expressed the opinion that tho matter of tho revision of Customs tariff should b» put in the hands of three or four business men working in conjunction » 'ml head 3 o£ tlle Customs Department. They could receive representations and recommendations from various trade interests and from other sections of the community. He (the chairman) believed that some small commission of this kind was likely to be very much less costly and more affective in .drafting proposals which would b; acceptable ta Parliament thaiL-c lai'ee committee -ivhich ini"ht travel through i\ew Zealand taking evidenco from all and sundry.

Harbour Board Facilities. A matter which had occupied the attention of tho-council of 'the chamber a great deal during the past year 'nad been the method of Handling both inward and outward cargo and transhipments on Wellington wharves. He did not say so in n querulous spirit, but he believed there wa< room:for vory considerable improvemm. In saying this he appreciated the diillculties which had had in be faced-lack of adequate shed accommodation and shortage of slilppimr particularly for tho coastal trade. They must, however, realise that the harbour w- 3 their great asset in Wellington, and that no ;toi;e should be left unt..rncd which would result in the more efficient handlica of nooda passins over the wharves. The report r.et out a number of works in ccurse of construction and proposed, and it was hoped the complef.pnof these wai.'Ul fee cwwiwl'i•o that the port of Wellington might, Sid continue to huld ito Icadmg position. Concluding, the chairu.an expressed his appreciation for the loyal support which had been accorded him by members of the council, and cf the time givsn by those memoers ct '.lie commercial community, who acted up:n the Hallway Goods Transit Oommitids during August and September last. Lastly, but principally, he .'xprossnil h '» , dec P.6eiise of the untiring zeal v 1 tafc . t u wl , llC " \'" secretary (Mr. IJ., ]). Viokery) had displayed during a strenuous

Incitlonui of Australian Tariff. In seconding the adoption oi ;ho report, l A, n ' MarU:l °"'-°Kised Hi? services of vlLll'X p !' os \ t - eilt ■• R ' i Ull! vice-president. Referring to tao niwstion c-i Australian Customs tariff-dr. Martin said that in many mpects it operated seriouWy to the disadvantage of Kew Zealand. The time was ripe for the. „ :owul of the reciprocity nosrotiutions v.i.h Australia. The anpoiiunieiit o! tJli,. ito of Commerce va's also ursred by the speaker. Under the new Commonwealth tariff for 1920 chore were three tariffs: (1) Urilh;., prUon.wia!'tariff. (2j inU'rmtdiate tarm'. ana iJ) ccur.i' tariff The U.ntca .Ki.v..;-,,... .'.....,., umlcr he, British Diele.vi.'.i.,; a,-,it. n:;,l Now Zeaiand oarce in;..,... til.; intermediate tariff, and mat ~KC,,im.ia!e tariff operated to our uiKidvnutasj in mivv important respects. For instance-, at present there was a botuitifu: crop of potatoes in Jscw Zealand, and a heavy surplus. Au?tralia was snort of th.c i: ti •!• ■ rid couiu easily relieve Now Zealand of 'its 'surplus. We could quote potatoes jt XB ks 01. per tort u.i.f. .Sydney, but we could not fret thorn in. 'Ihe r.ytlu. .- market u*v wuover £1? per lon, but the Aiwtrali'in" duiv was £1 per ton, and on top of that t-bey had fixed stringent precaution.' nguiiiHt diseases, and refusion oonsi"iinijnts ovu Klb: in weight. In short. New Zeala:iil was cut out. This was where some, reciprocal arrangement wm necessary.

Various Barriers. Mr. Martin alEo cited the case cf butter and cheese. The Australian duty on butter and cheese wan 3d. per.lb., which was practically prohibitive, and yet Australia eould take a certain quantity of our butter every year, and many New Zealand merchants in the trade ha>l recently received several cabled inquiries both for local consumption and re-exportation atioad. but they could not quote low er.'dueh to overcome a. hurdle of 3d. ry-r r t/v Thßn ' aßain ' a (lut y of 6(l ' "f lb. had been imposed on lucerne, a. peed largely grown in the Marlborough rii strict, nnd which for years had been exposal t" Australia. Ho next referred to cats, of which there was also a surplus in the Eominion. The Australian duty was Is. 6d. per lCOlb., as against a duty <f 9d. levied in New Ztalahd' on oats imported from tho Commonwealth. For these and otner reasons the time was, ripe for reciprocal arranrrementr, beini* entered into between the two countries. ' Jiociproeitv was also needed in order to ensure a supply of superphosphates for our farmers. We could not import from England, En* rope, or ar.y of our old sources of 6uppxcentins America, where prices were prohibitive. The New Zealand Government had fought hard during tho past twelve months, to secure • adequate supplies of Australian superphosphate for the farmers of this country, and had been successful in maintaining supplies despite many difficulties, but wo were now facing tills pinch, and something must be done durinc the- next three months to overcame the shortaeo. He believed, howovcr. that we wsuld partly solve the difficulty by seeurinj shortly seme fairly heavy shipmentß of bade slae, a .fertili=pr ]ar"c"ly used ir. the North Island for tordressing and other purposes on the farm. In conclusion, Mr. Martin said that in view of the cry in certain quarters tha' our production had been falling off, it was satisfactory to note that the fitmrer ahownin the annual report proved that, ..quantities,, .as well aB Values, had increased.

■ The' report was adopted without further discussion. Council Elected. I The following were elected memWs of the council for the einuinr y-.r--M n ,cra n. M. Basics. M. A. Oarr, TV. F. Cuthbert-son,-8. S. Dean. S. A. Longuet. J. T. Martin, J. P. Mills. John Myers, A. P. Roberts. A. E. Sinclair, W. Stuart Wilson, and 0. H. Young: Mr. C. P. Powles was re-elected auditor. . On tho motion cf .Mr. 0. M. Banks it was decided to inTcaste- Mis annual sub-sc'-'ntion from £1 2s. to £3 3s. The toast of the visitors was proposed bv the chairman.'coupled with the names of Mr. E. W. Dalton. lI.M. Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, and Mr. 0. M. Luke, chairman of the Wellington Central Chamber of Comnvorce. Trade Commissioner's Address. Mr. Dalton raid he (hose to come back. to New Zealand because he liked the country. While absent he had other positions offered to him, but he had turned these down. Contir.ui'.'.g. he said that he had rone a-way from New Zealand an optimist; he had remained an optimist, ond he had come hack an optimist. (Applause.) From various points pf view he remaiitai an optimist. For ono thing the Government of England had at last taken commerce seriously and had determined that above all Britain's export trade should be encenraced. Thore was no fear so far as the Government was concerned that the exporters of the United iunirdom would not be encouraged. The manufacturers, too. had become more enterprising, and had found greater outlets for their enterprise. Manufacturers at Home had evinced a strong interest in New Zealand. They had come back into the export trade with much greater keenness. If New Zealand had not vet «<-cn this it was because of the reorganisation and reconstruction that had of necessity to be carried out during the last twelve months. Die Arms who had confined their energies to the production of war materials had. reorcanised their ideas towards their production and their trade. Financial amalgamations and organisations bad also had to be carried out. Mr. Dalton wa« also optimistic with regard to labour in J'.ngland. It wai, he said, an entirely remarkable thing that the British workin* man had come through the period of mental unrest with such credit nnd equanimity. He personally had loft England feeling quite convinced that the British working man was a, solid, reasonable beinn-. who knew Rjrfectly well that industrial differences with hi: master would be solved, and solved ir. Buch a maimer as to build up a new England. (Anplause.) ■*

Wellington's Future, t,{? th< s. c ,1 ur6 l ot his Mr. 0. M. ,w?„S ld . th ?' he ' be!i ? v «l Wellington wa» destined 1 ? necome ; th» greatest citv in the Dominion. It was .the commerrial"wntre cf New Zealand, and it was from this centre that £hero must radiate in «! „? .u e t, m . uch «?N»t«r percentage of the Dominion's trade thuri in the Pi?.--,? , s connection he .referred to . Clt f s . duty to tho outside districts— jartiauiariy.-lLaribor-u-h and the WairV rapa-apart from consideration!! o£ projlt. lor the cultivation ef optimism and couraire, in conclusion he ventured the oivnlon that althoueh. there was no decline in out production the volume of our csporta had not yet reached the tieh-wator mart th m,' 11 , W£ ! s , to -attain. Tho health of the chairman was then

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19200526.2.5

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 206, 26 May 1920, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,457

THE VOICE OF COMMERCE Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 206, 26 May 1920, Page 3

THE VOICE OF COMMERCE Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 206, 26 May 1920, Page 3

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