ANNUAL CONFERENCE
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MEET.
ADDRESS BY HON. de la
PERRELLE,
(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)
HERMITAGE, October 22,
The annual conference of Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand opened at the Hermitage, Mount Cook to-day. Thirty' two delegates were present, representing 27 Chambers of Commerce, and were presided over by Mr P. P. Agar of Christchurch. In officially opening the Conference, Hon de la Perrelle (Minister of Internal Affiairs) apologised for the absence of the acting Prime Minister, Mr Hansom, and assured the Conference that the Government would give very careful attention to remits which concerned the Government. He assured the Conference that it was the earnest desire of the Government to co-operate with the Chambers of Commerce and other organisations, in any measures calculated to advance the prosperity of the country in any way. He was sure the delegates agreed that unsatisfactory as the position might h in some respects, the returns of the six trading banks of New Zealand for months of July, August and September, showed the financial position was sound and satisfactory, when taken into account with the present world, wide depression and decline of prices of the principal exports. The position so far as banking returns were an index was not one that called for alarm.. As the delegates were aware, the Government had met its own position, by a drastic curtailment of expenditure and by the imposition of additional taxation. The revenue fell by £oCO,OOO for the first half of the present findncial year but they had reduced the expenditure by £600,000 for the same period, as compared with the previous year. A certain amount of. revenii. had to be found each year and as taxation in the long run was" borne by local production, it followed tha. its proportionate effect oh industry could only be ameliorated by increased production. The amount required in taxation was then spread over a great volume of production and the effect’on. the individual was less marked. The. question arose as to how the increased production could be brought about. One means of achieving this was by directirig consumption towards goods which we ourselves produce. Touching on the desirability, or otherwise, of giving preference to New Zealand goods, the Minister said lie felt we were under no particular obligation to foreign countries, especially where those countries did not provide good markets for. our produce. The time might not he far distant when they would require to be greater trade reCri procity between countries comprising the British Commonwealth, and greater unity action on the part that the Coimriiomvenltli a* a whole in its competition with other producing countries. The Minister said he was .aware the Chambers of Commerce wag somewhat concerned in regard to the Board of Trade Act. The point of view of the Chamber was appreciated by the Government and it intended to fully consider the question before next session’s legislative programme was arranged He would be pleased to givei his earnest attention, in collaboration with thi Prime Minister and Sir Thomas Sidey to the request that certain provisions of the, Act he repealed and others modified.
Mr Agar delivered a lengthy presidential address, in the course of which he said he believed it-was the maldistribution of gold, together with the inflation of the currency of some countries, .which had created a position that was concurrently unsound. The problem wa s an international one, and could only be solved by a Conference of those countries whoce currency was based on the gold standard.
Mr Agar dealt with in detail the position of farmers and went on to refer to secondary and primary industries, stating that tariffs and protections must be considered from the point of view of the ability of the community as a whole to bear them, rather than from the more popular view point that the Dominion would like its own secondary industries. The speaker went on to refer to capital and' labour and concluded by stating that it was not to political action, they must look for in the future, but to the eflorts of the individualist.
Consideration of remits was then taken.
Mr K, A. Williams (for Marton Chamber) submitted, the following remite in regard to Chattels Transfer Act:—That owing to the preference given certain traders under section 57 of the Chattels Transfer Act 1924, representations be made to Government to amend it making it compulsory that all hire purchase agreements be registered. Mr Williams said his Chamber urged compulsory registration, and not abolition of the system. This would overcome the difficulty of a notorious custom, or wage associated system. Marton Chamber was of the earnest opinion that one of the causes of the present financial depression was the extensive and increasing use of the hire purchase system. Mr Bavin (Premier of N.S.W.) proposes to place a moratorium on all hire purchase agreements, because lie considered they were a contributing factor to the financial stringency in his state. IT. Tolley (Feilding) seconded. A similar remit from Palmerston North was withdrawn in favour of Marton. A remit from Masterton, “That for
every motor car sold on time payment plan, an instrument should be register-? ed,’hwas. allowed to.go .forward. A.j F. Wright (Christchurch) and F. W. Horner (Hawera) urged the conference not to pass the remit lightly as the remedy, suggested in - the remit would hardly be an effective cure of evil, j . , The Marten remit was,, negatived by a large majority. . The Masterton remit was carried by. nineteen votes to seventeen., ■ • - A. H. Allen (Dunedin) then moved that :in the event of an owner retaking possession of a chattel, the subject off a hire purchase agreement within two calendar months of the bailee being adjudged bahkriip.t, or assisting, his estate for the benefit ; \of creditors, -(he official assignee or trustee for. the benefit of* creditors as the case may be shall have the right (to he exercised within, one calendar/nioflth after such adjudgment or assignment) to (acquire such chattel from the;owner upon payment of the balance, then;renuuning unpaid in Vespect of such chattel. P. B. Footee (South Canterbury) seconded the remit which was adopted. A. G.-: Seed - (Wellington) moved “That this conference while appreciating the extension- by - Ne.w . Zealand banks in recent years of metropolitan free exchange rafeqs is. oft tlie opinion that (the areas should be still further extended.” , . ’ D. j. McGowan, (Wellington) ,secons| ed the reniit which was adopted. Jf
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Hokitika Guardian, 22 October 1930, Page 5
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1,069ANNUAL CONFERENCE Hokitika Guardian, 22 October 1930, Page 5
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