The Evening Star FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1936. CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CONGRESS.

Evening Star, Issue 22459, 2 October 1936, Page 8

The Evening Star FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1936. CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CONGRESS.

Viscount Eubank, president of the fourteenth Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, which opened this morning in Wellington, expressed the belief on his arrival in Auckland last week that the Congress would be one of the most important of its kind ever to have been held. Those conversant with the problems facing the Empire at the present time will be ready to accept his remarks at their face value rather than as a platitudinous attempt to bolster up New Zealand with a sense of her own importance. The deliberations of chambers of commerce may not be directly legislative, but it cannot be denied that chambers’ expressions of opinion and conclusions, emanating as they do from minds richly equipped with the practical learning that springs from study of trade and commerce, are frequently influential in paving the way for parliamentary enactments. The personnel of the Congress now being held in the Dominion, representing every noteworthy country in the British Commonwealth of Nations, is such as to inspire confidence in the ultimate value of the discussions. It is laid down in the rules of the Federation of Chambers that the Congress must bo held alternately in London and in some other part of the Empire, and for more reasons than one it is singularly fortunate, perhaps for other countries than New Zealand, that the venue this time is Wellington. To the southern Pacific, for instance, much attention is being drawn. The future of British shipping in these waters may be at stake, for the Congress has been the means of bringing together men capable of thoroughly analysing the position with the clear eye of the expert, and whose findings, therefore, should be considered when the policy to be adopted in tlje future is being shaped. It is encouraging to note that Viscount Elibank has already been impressed with the necessity to protect the All Red route. Among other matters of major importance to come up for discussion is the development of air mail and passenger services, a subject which at the moment is being investigated by Australian and New Zealand statesmen in collaboration with Mr Bertram, the visiting authority from Great Britain. Interempire trade, which the Congress is particularly competent to discuss, will come up in conjunction with the Ottawa agreement, and consideration is also to be given to a remit on the monetary policy, involving the evercontentious question of exchange. The views expressed on stabilisation of exchange within the Empire will be awaited with much interest. Naturally the agenda paper would not be complete without an examination of migration problems. The need for

migration from the United Kingdom to Australia and New Zealand is being increasingly recognised in the countries of both hemispheres, and it remains to bo seen if a workable solution of the economic difficulties recently forbidding this method of building up our population will emanate from the Congress. It is now generally agreed that future immigrants must bo of a type whose financial resources or industrial qualifications offer them rosier prospects in the home of their adoption than were noticeable in the days of assisted passages and the guarantees of relatives and friends. According to a cable message published to-day, the London ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ is of the opinion that, while both Australia and New Zealand have economic reasons for inviting British settlers again, there is no prospect of the outflow from Great Britain rising to anything comparable to that of pre-war days. “ The new movement,” says the ‘ Daily Telegraph,’ “ must bo controlled and the colonists carefully selected.” With this statement most people at the New Zealand end will agree, and the conclusions of the Chamber of Commerce Congress may reinforce the attitude it has become popular to take up. Apart altogether from the business and political value of the Congress, New Zealand should gain, as a residt of the influx of overseas visitors of some influence and distinction, a measure of publicity useful from the point of view of encouraging tourist traffic. The main body of delegates lias already been reported as being deeply impressed by the beauty of our scenery, and it is well that when the serious business of the Congress has received, their attention they will be able to enjoy those little pleasure trips and social engagements which can increase pleasant feelings for the country acting as host.