COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 53, 26 November 1920, Page 3

COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CONFERENCE

BUSINESS CONCLUDED . The annual conference of Now Zealand chambers of commerce concluded ita business yesterduy. Air. W. Gow presided. The conference decided to meet in Christchurch next year. Mr. C. H. Yomiff nioved: "That owinpr to ..he. very irregular arrival of mails from the United Kingdom, lilie Post-master-General be urged further to acquaint the British Postal authorities of this, and also to install! that the Union Steam Ship Company maintain regular sailings to and from Vancouver and San Francisco;' or that a subsidised regular mail service be established via Panama." Sir. Young 6aid ho was by, no means advocating the establishment of a subsiditicd service via, Panama. He considered, however, that the conference ought Jo back up the Postal Department in any endeavours to obtain regularity of service. Mr.- T. Somerville (Dunedjn) thought that the senders of letters from the United Kingdom ought to be advised of the importance of selecting the postal route by which: their letters arere to go. The remit was carried. Bait Sugar Industry. The following Wellington remit was briefly discussed: "That this conference, accoril its hearty support to the expressed in'Jention of the Government to convene a conference of interested associations to discuss the prospects of establishing the beet sugar industry in New Zealand on a sound commercial basis," Mr. J. B. Waters (Dunedin) said that before'aiiy steps were taken to establish the industry in New Zealand, the promoters should make certain that their district was going to produce sufficient beet mo supply a factory capable of treatJng 500 tons -a day. A factory of a Smaller capacity than 500 tons would nor be a Mr. J. Vt. Collins (secretary o.f the Board of Trade) said that there were considerable difficulties in the way of establishing the industry in New Zealand at present. These lay in the shortage of labour, the present high cost of plant, and the uncertainty that the existing high prices would last for any length of/ time, in view of the rapid recovery of the beet sugar industry on the Continent. The remiii was carried, and it was left to the executive to propose what the, personnel of the suggested conference should be. Trade With America. , Sir. A. Harris (Wsmganni) moved: '-'That the Government be petitioned to consider being represemled in the United States and Canada by 'Trades Commissioners:' with a , view to the development : of. trade." New Zealand produce would find a ready market in America, said one delegate, if only there were a "live" man present to push 'it. Moreover, the advantages of New Zealand as a resort for tourists " wiould- attract many' more Americans if they were properly advertised. - Mr. J. T. Martin (Wellington) believed that trade with Canada and the United States would figure largely in the future.of New Zealand. Only within the last!'few days a cablegram dealing with a Canadian embargo on. hjdcß hnd caused some uneasiness. It had appeared for the moment that the Canadian market for New Zealand hides was entirely gone. Later, it had been made clear that that was noi'i so; but the point wris that New Zealand had had no warning of any move such as [ had ' been made. If there had been a New Zealand commissioner in Canada, the exporters of this country would have received early advice of the. turn thaM matters were taking. The remit w-a* carried. The following remit was adopted: "(t) That the Government he asked to fully investigate the. possibility of placing the produce of New-Zealand in.countries io or around the Pacific and Indian Oceans. (2) That, if markets are available in all or a.ny of these countries, the Government arrange for regular shipping services toi enable our products to be oent there." Election of Officers. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr, ,T, T. Martin (Wellington), re'.Cirned unopposed; vice-president. Mr. J. B. Waters (Dunedin); executive, Messrs. W. M. Tyers (Christchurch), J. Gilkison (Invercavgill), A. G. Lunn (Auckland), and A. F. Roberts (Wellington). '