CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Evening Star, Issue 3051, 28 November 1872, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Tho annual meeting of the Chamber was held this afterneon. There were present— Messrs J. A, Walcott (in the chair), M‘Neill, Finch, Tcwsley, Sisc, Oliver, W. Watson, Law, O. G. Russell, Neil, and J. S. Webb (secretary).

The Committee, in their report, which dealt with the subjects that had engaged the attention of the Chamber during the past year, and the posit on ami prospects of the trade of the Province, stated that they had a more ph asant task than had fallen to the lot of their predecessors for some time past, and remark : “ The recovery which naturally follows a period of depression, and the greatly en hanced value of one of the most important of our exports, have combined to render the position, both of produceis and traders, more satisfactory than it has been for many years. The statistical tables which the Committee have caused to be prepared exhibit all the tokens of a marked impr -vement in trade, and of a steadily increasing prosperity, The imports during the tear ending 3()th September last show an increase iu value of onethird over tiiose of the previous year. The Custom's revenue of the same period exceeded that of any year since 18154. The in'ures ropre.seuting the value of our exports exhi’ it a v> ry large increase, and it is huffily satisfactory to note that this is not solely ,lue to the enhanced value of wool The increase in the quantity of wool exported is mm- than 2,0Ud,d0(l tbs. ; the export of gob; has been well maintained ; the value of grain exported veiy g-’eally exceeds that of all former year.-, except 18159 ; the export of phonmnm, o£ hides ami leathei, and of pre-s-rved meats, all show a marked increase. The increase of no nly L400.0U1), in the declared value of imports, is no doubt partly caused by the advanced prices of so many varieties of manufactured goods. This, however, does not affect the ligurcs when looked upon as indices of the increased consuming power of the population, which is also demonstrated by tho increase of the deliveries from bond of such articles as tea and sug r, which are used by all clauses of the nopulatiou In those cases where the tables now presented show a falling oil in the importation of particular articles, it will be seen that this is cbicily caused by iucicased local production nr manufacture. In every wav, therefore, the statistics of the tiade of the port indicate increased activity, and a comparatively flourishing condition of affairs. The prospects for the coming year appear also to be reas --airing. Should the season prove as favorable to tho cereal crops as it has done to the pasturage of the country, the agriculturist will share the prosperity of the stockowner. Ihe improved demand at home for preserved meats will enable tho manufacturers hero to absorb all the surplus stock in the Province. It appears probable that the position of the European markets will secure for the agriculturist a fair price for his grain. The wool market continues very favorable for growers. And, lastly, the production of gold within the Province still continues to he steady, and with the increased attention p >id to mining enterprise by tlmuj who arc seeking investments for capital, is not unlikely to be materially increased. ' A variety of subjects were touched upon In regard to the Bankruptcy Laws. the Committee expressed the hope that this important measure willnot again be sacrificed to the exigencies of party politics ; and to their successors the desirability of addressing a memorial to the Government on the approach of the next Parliamentary session, again setting forth the objections of the Chamber to certain details of the Bill as last printed, and urging that it should bo brought before the House of Representatives' 5 iirst, and that at an early period of .the session. Gn the subject of the Tardl and Customs Regulations, reference was made to tho Drawbacks Act of last session, as having been framed iu a liberal spirit, and meeting tuc objections which the Chamber has repeatedly urged against the system previously iu force. On the other hand, nothing has been done iu the way of otter reforms, the necessity of which was alluded to iu last year’s report, and to which fuithei attenti n is invited. The report then says “ Whilst the Customs revenue was failing, and the trade of the Colony was every where in a move or has i depressed condition, the suoject of tariff reform was necessarily postponed to more lortunate times. Now that the levcnuc from this source shows marked signs of improveun a', it mmjff he that amelioration of our oppia ssive tariff Wiiq. Receive con. eid( ration, were it not that the necessary am nual expenditure of the Colo y is increasing in a still more rapid ratio. In view of this fact, your committee have no suggestion on this subject to offer. They cannot, however, refrain from sailing attention to the fact that, notwithstanding the universal incidence of Customs dues, the bulk of tho revenue is still derived from a very few artides. Wine, beer, and spirits, tobacco, t.a, coffee, and sugar yield more than threefourlh.s of the Customs revepue; whilst of the other fourth nearly ihe whole L pplloctAd under some twenty heads of the tariff. If the revenue must be maintained at the amount which the present tariff will yield, this object would still he attained if a few duties were slightly increased, and a hundred others abandoned entirely. .Such a reform would he a great boon to business men, and OiS it would relieve the Customs Iffipa-tmcnt of a large amount of work, might also assist the efforts which the Ooffinial Government lias promised to make in the direction of retrenchment iu its costly establishments/’ In reference to mail communication, it is observed that experience, since the Chamber in July last protested against the irregularity of the San. Francisco service, ami requested that arrangements should be made to connect New Zealand with the Suez line, has continued to demonstrate that, oven in the absence of the arrangements asked for, our communication with Great Britain is more regular and more rapid bywav of Suez than by way of San Francisco, Such a result of the lavish expense which the Colony hao incurred, in the hope of securing a reliable and rapid service, is most annoying. Your Committee a; e glad to observe that the Government appears to have at length become alive to the necessity for this service being carried out iu its integrity, and hone that an improved condition of tilings will ensue. At the fame time, they are of opinion that, however efficient tho San Francisco service may hereafter be rendered, communication with the Suez line ought to be strictly maintained. In regard to shipping telegrams, tho Gommitteo express with some confidence the opinion that a re-consideration of the-subject will lead to a faunahle change in the yrcsvnt rcgula-

tions ; while it is observed that even should it be found too inconvenient, or too expensive to revert to the liberal system formerly in vogue, a great improvement might still be made by a more judicious selection of the information to be gratuitously furnished. ■The condition of the harbor is next touched upon, and regret is expressed that some time will elapse before the dredge ean be used to prevent the shoaling of the channel at the Rattray street wharf. In the meantime, it is stated, the evil is steadily increasing, and there is every reason to fear that if much further delay takes place before the channel, and especially the pool in which vessels are swung, are re-dredged to at least the original depth, great loss and inconvenience to the shipping interest will ensue. Dredging, however, can only be a partial remedy, which will have to be constantly repeated, until steps are taken to alter the position of the outlet to the Rattray street sewer, a work which, both on this account and for sanatory reasons, ought to be undertaken at once. Mention is made that the wharfage accommodation at Rattray street is no longer adequate to the requirements of the business of the port On the subject of the railway station and customs sheds the report notices with regret the very limited area that lias been appropriated for the Railway Station at Dunedin. They are of opinion that the whole space granted for the termini of the Olutha and Port Chalmers Railways is barely adeouate to the traffic requirements of the latter It appears hardly probable that within the confine d limits at disposal, such accommodation for goods can bo afforded Imre as will admit of the Customs authorities arantino those facilities for the more rapid discharge of ships bringing general cargoes to the port, to which mercantile men have been so anxiously looking forward as a result to be expected from the completion of the Port Chalmers Railway. Since it is imperatively necessary that the traffic of both lines should be concentrated at one station, the Government, rhould be urged to take immedi -te steps to extend the area reclaimed for this purpose very considerably. The Committee notice with satisfaction the keenness of the competition at the High School for the Chambers’ Arithmetic Prizes, and agree to Professor Sbaud’s suggestion to give an additional prize to the unsuccessful competitor at. the last examination, because he w as so nearly equal with the boy who gamed the cold medal. . , . . The Chairman said it was hia pleasing duty to move the adoption of the report. Many years had elapsed since so favorable a report had been submitted to the Chamber. He congratulated the Chamber on the nnrkcd improvement that had taken place in business during the past year j and on the increased prosperity of the Province, .hat prosperity was no doubt greatly owing to the large advance in the price o wool, although oth'T causes had contributed to it. Ihe exports for the year ended September 30 last, showed the exports of wool had merewed to the extent of nearly L 400,000, viz , L 307,799; while on the experts generally during the same pe-iod the increase was L 375,411 the total exports of the Province being T,l 7"G 442. He had every reason to hope that the exports for this year would not fall short of two millions. The increase of our wealth must have been felt m all departments of trade, as was evidenced by tlie accumulation of money, the prevailing low ratps of ffispoupt, the full employment of labor, and Die general advance in value of a I descriptions of property, Hp congratulated the Chamber on the establishment of telegraphic communication with England, and suggested that the various Chambers of Commerce throughout the Colony should urge upon the Government the necessity for establishing telegraphic communication between Hew Zealand and Australia. ihe present was the most favorable time for urging tbc Government to connect the Colony with the Suez mail service ; and he believed that the Harbor affairs vould not be properly conducted until a Harbor bus was appointed, which should receive all dues, to bo devoted by it to the improvement of tho harbor. _ Then, by judicious expenditure, vessels drawing twelve or thirteen feet ot water would be ablp to alongside the Fa'tray street Wharf. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows Chair an an, Mr Bntterworth • vicechairman, MrP. C. Neill; committee, Messrs Law, Tcwsley, Davie, Oliver, Sise, and Walcott Mr G, F. Reid was elected a member of tho Chamber.