CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1784, 8 November 1879, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The adjourned meeting of the Chamber of 1 Commerce was held at 3 p.m. yesterday, t Present—Messrs G. G. Stead (President), £ C. W. Turner, R. Struthers, Ohrystall, Lee, i Allan, Pavitt, A. O. Wilson, A. Duncan, i Acland, Cameron, J. Ballantyne, J. J. Fletcher, Caro, H. Morrison, W. Pratt. f The President said that members would 1 recollect on the 31st October a committee i was appointed to consider and report on quos- i lion of what relief can be afforded to manu- a facturors in this colony, by lessening or « abolishing duties as at present levied on articles used by them in their respective t, manufactures, and on other means by which c the establishment of colonial industries and £ manufactures may be promoted. The com- y mittee had met four times; on two oecasions ( they had sat a long time, and had discussed c the question at some length. The committee s had been unable to agree upon any report, ] and therefore they had none to bring ] up. Resolutions had been carried and f rescinded, but the following resolution had a been carried unanimously :—“ The committee J are of opinion that relief may be afforded to c local industries by the remission of Customs i duties on articles imported and used for c manufacturing purposes, and that the loss to 1 the revenue which may be incurred by such i remissions could easily be recouped by addi- B tional duties on some of the following a articles, viz.:—Spirits, wine, tea, bottled beer, v cigars and sugar; the articles to be selected s in the order as stated.” Subsequently G another resolution was carried by a large a majority, and after this another resolution t was passed adjourning the meeting to that £ day. They had met at 2 p.m., and had been £ unable to agree upon a report, so that the e matter was now in the hands of the general £ meeting. e Mr Allan said he understood, as a member , of the committee, that the resolutions passed ( at the meeting of the committee had been i carried, and that formed the report. He | disagreed with the chairman in his statement i of the facts. j Mr Stead said that he was not present at 1 the last meeting of the committee, and some t members of the committee were of a different j opinion to Mr Allan. He was therefore £ unable to decide between the two. < Mr Allan asked that the other resolution t spoken of by Mr Stead might be read. c Mr Stead read the resolution as follows : £ “ And that the duties removed last session t from grain, timber, hams and bacon, might be ’ reimposed.” i Mr Caro said that perhaps the committee £ might have some more time. i Mr Stead said that from what he could i gather, the committee were not likely to ( agree, and the Chamber should now consider £ the telegram from Mr Stevens. 1 Mr 0. W. Turner gave a history of the ’ action of the committee. They had passed I certain resolutions, and had prepared a re- 1 port, but the meeting adjourned in order 1 to allow of the report to be considered by the eighteen members instead of seven ( or eight. This meeting having lapsed, no i report was brought up. Now, therefore, ho was, as a member of the Chamber, in order to < move a resolution, and ha did so as follows: < - “ The Chamber is of opinion that relief may ' be afforded to local industries by the remission of customs duties on articles imported i and used for manufacturing purposes.” Ho should stop there, but if the Government did not see their way clear to do this, then he c •wouldadd the following:—“And that the loss to the revenue which may be incurred i by such remission could easily be recouped by additional duties on some of the following articles, viz.—Spirits, wine, tea, bottled beer, cigars and sugar, the articles to he selected in the order as stated.” He thought that all free traders could support this resolution, whilst protectionists could look upon it as a relief to themselves. Mr Pavitt seconded the motion. Mr Allan thought Mr Turner shou!d incorporate the whole of the resolution. Mr Stead pointed out that an amendment could he proposed incorporating this portion of the resolution. Mr Caro said ha understood it was left to the committee to report upon the articles upon which duty should be remitted. He felt that the committee were appointed to do this, and he thought the resolution was far too indefinite, as it might include the tools of all the trades. He was in favor of protection of local industries, but ho failed to see the use of an indefinite resolution such as the one now before them. Perhaps if the committee were to meet again they might bring up a list of articles recommended for remission of duties. Mr Stead said that the committee, as he had stated, were unable to agree upon the matter. The fact was that the committee had come to a dead lock. Mr Pratt said that ho thought it was far bettor to indicate generally that it would bo better to give relief to local industries whore necessary, and leave it to the Government to deal with the details. The resolution, ho thought, was of a fairly general character, and met the telegram sent to the Chamber. The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. Mr O. W. Turner moved—“ That the resolution be forwarded to Mr Stevens, as an answer to his telegram.” He might say that the committee felt that they should not throw themselves open to the charge of desiring largely increased taxation, but leave it to the Government to meet the financial difficulties of the country in the way they thought best. He thought, therefore, that the committee had acted wisely. Mr Allan seconded the motion. He thought the committee had acted very wisely in stopping where they did. There was one item on the list which ho should have voted against, as it was opposed to the spirit of the resolution. This was sugar, which was largely used by jam-makers and brewers. Mr Turner pointed out that the item referred to was the last on their list, spirits and wines, which were articles of luxury, being before it. The resolution was carried, and the meeting concluded.