CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2191, 16 May 1870, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held in the City Council Hall this morn-ng, at eleven o’clock, to confer with Mr Collie, agent of Mr Webb, of New York, on the proposal to establish a mail line of steamers between the Australasian Colonu s and America. Twenty-three members were pnscut, raid Messrs Rlrnlcs and Pharazyn, of Wellugton, were also there. Dir G. Tcuxiai.L, the President, stated the purpose for which the meeting had been convened. Mr Collie was about to proceed to Melbourne, and it was thought desirable that the Chamber should hear from him the proposals he had to submit. It was so short a time since the subject was remitted to a committee for consideration, that there had not been time to make up their minds on the matter. It was evident the present service was entirely useless, and were it to ho continued, he for would he inclined to go in for a scheme by which Canterbury and Otago should subsidise the service. Mr Collie said that his mis-inn had been so fully ventilated by the New Zealand Press that he need say very little on the subject. He represented Mr Webb, of New York, who is a very largo shipbuilder and shipowner. Communication with the Australian Colonies had occupied the minds of the people in America fully a-i much as those in Australasia, and in consequence Mr Webb had deputed him (Mr Collie) to attempt to establish a line with New Zealand and Aus- 1 tralia. Mr Webb was in a position to do so. He had four steamers ready for the service— 1 '

The Nebraska—Al at Lloyds; 2143 tons register ; 3000 tons builders’ measurement; 850 horse-power ; 286 feet long, and 41 feet beam ; built in May, 1867, and averaged 15i knots on her trial trip. The Nevada—Al ; 2145 tons register; 85 inch cylinder ; 12 feet stroke; 28*1 feet on main deck, and licensed to carry 838 passengers. Average speed on trial trip, 15 knots, and built in December, 1867. The Dacotah—Al at Lloyds ; 2150 tons register ; 281 feet long, and 41 feet beam ; 83 inch cylinder, and 12 feet stroke. Licensed to carry 720 passengers. The Santiago de Cuba— 1627 ; 560 horsepower ; 237 feet long ; 38 feet beam. Built in 1861, and rebuilt in 1867. Four boats would be required for the service. Mr Hall had contracted to deliver the mails in Auckland in 55 days, but that time was considerably longer than was necessary. Mr Webb proposed to have two boats constantly running, starting from Me bourne and San Francisco at the same time, and one spare boat would be required. The subsidy asked was L 150,000 for twelve service’, to bo borne in such proportions as could be agreed upon between the United States, Honolulu, New Zealand, and the Australian Colonies. Mr Webb left San Francisco for New York on the 26th June ; i from thence he ■would go to Washington to ask for a subsidy, and he (Mr Collie) had every reason to thiuk he would ho successful, i as from the very great service he had rendered the States during the war, if a subsidy i was granted, he was sure to get it. He expected to get from the Australasian Colonies LBO,OOO. His opinion was that the Government of New Zealand would contribute about L 30,000. In an interview with Mr Vogel, that gentleman objected to the steamers calling at the Fiji Islands, and especially to bringing the mails on by a branch steamer. In deference to his objections he would abandon that part of the project, and consent to come first to New Zealand, and thence to ; Sydney and Melbourne. Asa put of call ; ho should prefer Wellington, as it was more , accessible, night and day, than any other port, and free from tidal intiuences. In Auckland sometimes the tide ran at the rate [ of four knots an hour. Since his arrival in , Dunedin he found a wish expressed by several gentlemen that this should bo the port of call. It could be made so, but the insurance would be heavy, and there would 1 bo the risk of having the mails lost, and ho considered no insurance could cover that loss. He thought, therefore, {the Australian Colonics would agree to that, and they would ! hj ive a voice in the matter. Mr Collie laid before the Chamber drawings and plans of the Costa Rica steamer running between Panama and San Francisco, to show the general plan of the proposed steamships. He then remark' d that it would not he • much out of the lino of route to call at Tahiti, hut it was not a place of commerce — there was no export trade except goods sent up to Auckland for transhipment to Great ' Britain; and as the success of the line would depend upon the passenger traffic, the route must be made as eligible as possible. At Tahiti they could only get coals. Its produce was a few oranges and bananas—no ! butchers’ meat was procurable. He had lived tnere thirteen years, and had known . the market to he three days without supplies. It was, in fayt, imported from Honolulu. He therefore objected to Tahiti as a port of call. A subsidy was promised by > Honolulu of L6OOO, and most probably it ; had already passed the Legislature. There was a line between Sau Francisco and Honolulu, to which a subsidy of L 14,000 had been ' paid, but which for some reason had been : withdrawn. There could be no doubt of • getting that, and thus reducing the subsidy ’ of the United State’. He would leave out 1 of present consideration the port of call in New Zealand. He could say much on the 1 advantages of an immediate commercial con- ! nection with so great a country as the United States. Besides passengers, the steamers would have room for large quanti- ! ties of cargo. There was room for the export of buffer and cheese to California, where the supply was insufficient, The retail price of . butter was 2s Od a pound, while the import duty was only 2d, so that there was ample margin for profit. There was always a market for flax also. The rope manufacturers would be glad to have it. They say they wish their New Zealand friends would supply them. It would prove a great article of export. At Honolulu, where the whalers resort every year to refit, preserverl meats would he in great demand. Mr Rhodes had stated publicly in New Zealand he would supply them at 4id per lb. With regard to wool, as the people uf the United States were very desirous of cherishing tfieir own manufactures, and of raising a revenue to wipe off the debt incurred through the war, ho saw no chance of its being admitted free. It would bo better for Mr Webb if such were the case. There was also a constant demand for tallow. The Chairman remarked although in Dunedin we should like it to be the port of call, he did not think any member of the Chamber would object tq any port being made so, if no further north than Welling- | ton, nor further south than the Bluff. Mr Collie produced a drawing shewing the snow sheds made to protect the line of railway from snow fal ing fi’om the mountains. In answer to a question, he said in ordinary weather vessels of the size proposed could enter the Port, but with north-cast weather and a heavy swell, they would touch the ground in entering. He admitted from the commercial importance of the Province, it was entitle;] to a prpfer. nee, but the boats j wore larger than the Tarama, and the j insurance would bo such as to render it improbable, Mr Rhvn r.ns, as Lloyd’s agent, said the insurance to Port Chalmers was as light as to any port in the Colony. He had had much correspondence with Lloyds, and every satisfaction had been expressed as to its safety for vessels not drawing more than 22 or 23 feet of water. Mr Collie could not say positively what was the draft of the proposed steame s, hut considered it must he fully IS feet. Mr E. B. (h\krill moved :—That in the opinion of this Chamber every effort should bo made by the Government of Now Zealand to sec re the calling at a p nt in New Zealand of the line of steamships proposed to bo established between San Francisco and the Australian Colonies. Such port not j being further north than Wellington,” He ; remarked on the unsatisfactory arrangements j made by Mr Vogel, and said that a line of ] steamers making Auckland the port of call, , would not meet with the support of public ■, opinion. It would, no doubt, be very ad- ] vantageous to have large steamers calling at ( Dunedin, but Ids honest impression was that ( the port of call should bo Wellington, for •

calling at Duaedin would sometimes involve a loss of twelve hours. But that question might be discussed elsewhere. Mr Rhodes, of Wellington, then addressed the Chamber. He gave a history of what had been done iu the matter in Wellington. He considered the proposal of Mr Collie had cropped up very opportunely, as people were beginning to feel alive to the importance of of commercial intercourse with America, Another line was projected in England, Sir George Grey being one of the directors ; but he did not thiuk the British Government would subsidise them ; and even if they did, two years would elapse before it c.uld be brought into operation, by which time the Colony would be prepared for a second line. Mr Hall’s line had more passengers than it could possibly take, there being twenty times the number that went by Panama. So that, if Mr Webb’s plan succeeded, there would be ample room for both the American and English lines. Mr Webb’s influence with the United States Government arose from the great service rendered by him during the war, he bavin,' built them five vessels of war, for which he did not ask to he paid until the war was over. He then alluded to the disadvantages under which the North Island laid, as compared with the Middle Island, on account of the northern land being held by the natives. He expressed his pleasure at seeing the im;movents iu Dunedin; but stated that, until the wealth of Otago could secure the removal of the bar at the Heads, Wellington would he preferable as a port of call. Mr Cargill’s resolution was put and cav« ried. Mr Davy moved, and Mr Sisk seconded, that copies of the resolution should be sent to the Chamber of Commerce in Melbourne, and to the several Chambers of Commerce in New Zealand. On the motion of Mr Oliver, a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Collie, who acknowledged it in a few words.