CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 934, 22 June 1877, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The adjourned quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday at 3 p.m. Present —Messrs Cunningham (chairman), J. Anderson sen., J. D. Macpherson, L. E. Nathan, J. Inglis, Connal, Wood, Hassal, Turner, Cuff, A. Duncan, Jenkins, Robison, Carruthcrs, W. Day, Pavitt, and Barker. The Chairman said that this was an adjourned meeting to consider the rules of the Chamber as revised’. The. secretary would read the rules as revised. The secretary (Mr J. A. Bird) then read

the rules as revised, which, after some discussion, were adopted with some slight alterations, and ordered to be printed. The old rules were repealed and the new ones adopted in their place. The Chairman said that the committee had the tariff under their consideration, and intended to propose several amendments in it. Mr Hay wished to ask the committee whether, they would ascertain what the tariff really meant ? What was meant by owner’s risk? Hid the railway mean to carry by weight or measurement or both ? He knew of a case of hats measuring some 40ft which had been charged as a ton. Now the package did not weigh a ton. He wanted to bring before the committee the fact that the goods were to be carried at owner’s risk whatever that meant. Besides this he would call the attention of the committee to the fact that wines and spirits in cases were carried at owner’s risk, so that for any loss there would be no redress. But the great point he wished the committee to put before the Government was, whether goods were to be carried by dead weight or by measurement assimilated to weight as now. Then there were double rates, which he did not understand. The Chairman said that unless otherwise specified, goods would be carried by measurement between Lyttelton and Christchurch. The railway took the invoices of the ships, so that it would be by measurement. Mr Eobison thought that the Government had the importers twice over. The lighter goods were put in the higher class and charged at measurement rates. So that the Government got two rates out of them. Mr Turner said it was intended to carry wine in qr.-casks at one rate and wine in bidk at another.

Mr Eobison wanted to know whether the Lyttelton and Christchurch Eailway was distinct from the others. If so, they would have to pay four terminal charges. He had had the pleasure of doing this when the railway authorities never touched the goods. The Chairman said that the committee had the subject under consideration, and would probably meet during the week to consider it. It might also be necessary to convene a general meeting of members to discuss the question. The meeting then adjourned.