PARLIAMENT OF COMMERCE

Evening Star, Issue 22452, 24 September 1936, Page 7

PARLIAMENT OF COMMERCE

DELEGATES ASSEMBLING FOR EMPIRE CONGRESS [Pkb Unitzd Press Association.! AUCKLAND, September 23. England, Wales, the Irish Free State, Southern Rhodesia, and Trinidad were represented by seven travellers who arrived from England by tho Rerauera to attend the fourteenth congress of the Federated Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, which will be opened at Wellington next -week. This is the first of several parties of delegates which will arrive at Auckland in -the next few days. Sir Lewis Loughcr, a former High Sheriff of Glamorganshire and an exmember of the British House of . Commons, is a member of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce and has shipping interests. He said that the importation of produce from tho dominions through Cardiff was largely on the increase, and he hoped that New Zealand would share in this South Wales trade. “ New Zealand produce is very favourably received in South Wales, and is much sought after,” he added. Accompanying Sir Lewis is Mr T. H. Mordey, another member of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, who also is connected with the shipping industry. Mr Mordey is a member of the council of the Federated Chambers _of Commerce, and a former High Commissioner for Southern Rhodesia. Mr J. W. Dowmie, C.M.G., is the delegate from the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce. He has been Minister of Agriculture and Mines in the Southern Rhodesian Government ' and was High Commissioner from 1930 to 1935. Mr Downie, who was born in Glasgow and has been in Southern Rhodesia for 40 years, . retired from business in 1919 and was in Parliament from 1923 to 1934. “Southern Rhodesia has been through the depression the same as other countries, but the colony has varied its output of primary products and raw materials, and gold mining and mineral industries _ have carried us through,” Mr Downie said. “We have a satisfactory budgetary position, and have been able to reduce taxation.” From the Irish Free State comes Mr George N. Jacob, president of a firm of biscuit manufacturers with factories in Dublin and Aintree, near Liverpool. He is the representative of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the Free State, and is making his first visit to New Zealand, but his brother, Mr W. IT. Jacob, a wellknown breeder of pedigree stock at Feilding, has been a resident of the Dominion lor 50 years. “ Being a manufacturer, I avoid politics assiduously,” Mr Jacob said, in declining to comment upon the political situation in the Irish Free State. He added, however, that the Government was definitely encouraging industry, and a great number of new manufacturing companies had been started. Tho Yorkshire delegate to the congress is Mr A. J. Pyrah, who is a director of a carpet manufacturing company. He is the representative of the Cleckheaton Chamber of Commerce. Another delegate who is making his second visit to the Dominion—his last was 25 years ago—is Mr C. T. Craig, a wood-pulp importer, who is ono of the representatives of the London Chamber of Commerce. Discussions which would particularly interest him at the congress would be those in connection with the petroleum and sugar industries, said Mr D. M'Bride, of Trinidad, the only delegate of the West Indies. It might be possible, Mr M‘Bride said, for New Zealand to develop a dairy produce market in Trinidad. A small amount of New Zealand butter entered the island at present, this being transhipped either in the West Indies or in Catiada, The Trinidad grapefruit industry was -increasing rapidly, and Mr M‘Bride proposed making inquiries in New Zealand as to the possibility of establishing a market here.