Chamber of Commerce.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, 5 February 1902, Page 1

Chamber of Commerce.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) Wellington, last night.

A conference of Chambers of Commerce opened this afternoon. Mr D. J. Nathan (Wellington) presided, and in his opening address said the position of mercantile and industrial life was far from justifying the pessimism that had characterised the utterances of public men and writings in the newspapers. No doubt wool was as low in price as the world had ever known, but signs of improvement were noticeable. Comparing the position of the sheepfarmer in 1881 (before the frozen meat ndustry revolutionised the condition of the colony) with that at the present time, it was found that he drew an average last year of 10s per sheep, as against 5s in 1830 The significance of the drop of a million and a-half in our exports was greatly discounted by the fact that the total exports for some years have shown abnormal increases. In any case, a fall of a million and a-half was not likely to ruin this colony. Frozen meat has been higher in value, but fey/ could grumble at the present'prices, and, moreover, there are signs of improvement. Tallow, butter, and flax are high, while the prospects of wheat and oats hardly justify any special feeling of despondency. Goll, timber, and gum products mo r e than maintain i their position, and the coal output is increasing, while there are other industries

—pork export, for instance—awaiting development. The Chairman strongly advocated preferential treatment of Britishmade goods, and urged the opening up of the country by means of roads, bridges, and railways, and particularly tho completion of the trunk lines.