BUSINESS AND THE SOCIAL INSTINCT.

Shannon News, 21 December 1926, Page 2

BUSINESS AND THE SOCIAL INSTINCT.

THE MODERN TREND. Addressing the Luncheon Club in Levin oil Friday, Mr J. Ireland, of Palmerston North, said that to him the Chamber of Commerce was a very important commercial body,' and there was no end of uses to which it could be put. The local Chamber had to look after the interests of the town, to encourage the establishment of industries or businesses, and also to put the business into proper channels. Being nonpolitical, Chambers of Commerce received a great deal of notice from the Government. In his own experience quite a number of important things had been placed before the Central Chamber in Wellington before being brought to Parliament. The Railway Department, before making revisions in the freights, quite frequently approached the Chambers of Commerce about it. The Commission on Tariffs would approach the Chambers before putting anything definitely before Parliament. The more interest shown by members in their "local Chamber, the more effective would such an organisation be. Referring to the Luncheon Club offshoot, Mr Ireland said that the better the members knew each other the better would be their working" results. Instead of the old ( cut-throat business of the past, the modern idea was to get hold of an opponent and have a quiet talk with him; there would then be no cutting. -By means of these luncheons they could get to know each other better and get rid of the mad policy of cutting against each other.

Mr T. F. Gibson (president of the Levin Chamber) said that Mr Ireland was one of the gentlemen who encouraged him when he spoke of the desire to found a lunch club in Levin. Mr Ireland had said, “I cannot commend it too highly, and if you are going to rub shoulders there is no better way than by means of a lunch club.”