AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1649, 3 June 1879, Page 2

AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

[Press Special Wire.] AUCKLAND, June 2, At the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to-day, the chairman reviewed the business of the Chamber during the past year. The balance-sheet showed a credit of £SB 10s. The Chairman, in another address, said Auckland merchants did not appeal* to interest themselves in affairs outside of their offices. Ho congratulated the Chamber of Commerce on the general soundness of trade in Auckland, owing to the absence of unwise speculation in goods and land, and extrava-

gant living. As a natural consequence there had been scarcely a failure during the year amongst the agricultural and trading classes. Speaking of Auckland industries, the speaker said ol: thirty aawm.lla at w ,rk, he had received returns from eighteen mills of the quantity of timber, but during IS7B these showed a total in round numbers of 50,000,000 feet of the value of £3,25 ,000 Those figures really represented the work of three-fourths of the year only, owing 1 o the almost total want, of rain during the last quarter of the year. Regarding Auckland’s natural resources ho said that during the last fifteen years we had paid away not loss than three millions sterling for cattle and corn alone. The causes were three, viz.— (I.), the Nath-o difficulty; (2). the fern difficulty; (3), misdirected industry or indolence. If in the place of dancing attendance on Tawhiao with proposals to make a real king, our politicians would give the Natives open courts and open markets for their land, the peaceful and permanent eenttlemenl of the Native difficulty would eventually be secured. The fern difficulty, which had been almost as costly as the Native difficulty, was disappearing. With regard tc the exhaustive system of agriculture followed in the South, Mr Firth said that by continuous cropping wheat on land without any attempt to restore the elements of fertility, the lard would ultimately under such a system refuse to grow wheat at all. He hoped the good sense of the community would resist the attempt to reimpose protective duties. Mr Dargavilleproposed the following resolution—(l) “That in the opinion of this Chamber; the removal of the import du-y on timber last session has already seriously injured the timber and shipping trade of this port and colony. (2) That a large amount of capital is invested in these trades which grew to their present proportions under the late tariff, employing some 3000 men, and circulating about half a million of money yearly amongst the working classes. (3) That a number of vessels heretofore employed in the trade are now being laid up, already between five and six hundred men have been discharged, and a still greater number of men and ships are likely to be thrown out of employment in consequence of the removal of the duty. (4) That an injustice has been done to those persons also who have invested large sums in the timber trade, on the supposition that the duty would not bo disturbed, and must now suffer heavy losses, unless either the duty be re-imposed or compensation be made them. (5) As the amount of compensation which would bo required to meet the cost would be so great as to be practically beyond the means of the Government, therefore the import duty ought to be re-imposed ; and it, in the interests of the colony as a whole, it be deemed desirable to remove it at any time hereafter, it could be done more equitably ae regards owners of capital invested, and with lees injury to the working classes of this community, by a gradual reduction extending over a period of years.” After considerable discussion, the clause respecting compensation was struck out, and the others carried.

The following resolution was carried r—“That this Chamber disapproves of the law now in existence which enables ships to carry cargo from one port in New Zealand to another port under a foreign flag.” It was pointed out that the system is detrimental to vessels engaged in the coasting trade, and does nob exist in any other colony under the Crown.