Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

Manawatu Herald, 28 May 1892, Page 2

Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

At the quarterly meeting of the Chamber on Thursday afternoon, Mr Gale, the chairman, delivered a very interesting address,. Referring to the Chicago Exhibition he said that tho Government had done nothing yet. As space mast be applied for in October, aud the exhibits of wool should be arrauged for before the wool season if the Colony was to exhibit at all no time ought to be lost. Our exhibits should be on a scale hitherto unattempted, aud with our principal export " wool " we should make it a f9Attw« of the e«hU){fitan.

He remarked upon the sound stato of business in this distdct, arid the fewness of bankruptcies during the past quarterj and referring to the imports,, pointed out, that for the 1 year eridiug 2lst March lasi, tliey' were valued at £6,622,647 as against £6,042,412 for the previous year. He was gratified to see that the butter export showed an increase of £70,000 as compared with last year 1 , but he regretted that no progress had been made in the export of cheese ; the quantity exported tot the year ending 81st .M&rtjk\. last being £9"8,000, as against £97,150 for the corresponding period last year. The dairy industry at the present rate of production therefore showed a balance of £337,936 for last year. What the refrigerating machines had been to the meat industry the factory system must be to the dairy industry, and he strongly urged the Government and those interested to give more attention to the possibilities of the enormous trade that can be secured for butter and cheese.

He drew attention to the wonderful progress made in the export of fruit from Tasmania to London. During their visits to Hobart this season the mail steamers of both the P. and 0. and Orient lines had secured large cargoes of fruit, ranging from 2800 to 24,000 cases, three vessels having taken upwards of 20, 000 cases each. In all nearly 110, 000 cases of fruit had been taken by these two lines. Some other large shipments, such as 41,000 cases by the s.s. Eldersile, 20,000 by tbe ss. Port Pirie, 14,000 by the s.s. Port Victor, and smaller consignments, brought this year's exports of fruit from Hobart to London to upwards of 170,000 cases. As showing the growth of the trade, it might be mentioned that three years since the import of apples into England from Hobart was some 30,000 bushels ; in the year following (1890). the figures had risen to 40,000. Last year the importation rose to 140,000 bushels, and this year it was over 170,000. It was estimated in Hobart that next year's total would be close an 300,000 cases,