Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7849, 15 June 1905, Page 2

Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

[ ANNUAL MEETING. The adjourned annual meeting of! tho Taranaki Chamber of Commerce was held at New Plymouth on Wednesday evening. Tho President (Mr M- Fraser) presidod over an excellent attendance. —President's Address.— The President, in his review of tho year's work remarked : —Deputations.—

"Several deputations from this Chamber have waited upon the Ministers of the Crown, railway, postj oltice and other oilicials, lor tnc purpose of securing greater facilities iroin their various departments. —Efforts to Secure Roads.— "The condition of our settlers on the backblocks hutf' received our. at. tenlion. He urrunged for a strong, deputation from Taranaki to wait on tho Government. Unfortunately, howover, circumstances were against us, and we fe 2 l back on our representai tivo, hoping that something might be done during last session, but I regret to say that so fur the Government has taken no action.. We find that other back Country, such as the Upper ltangjtikci and the King Country, from the Auckland end.iaß its thousands spent on roads and railways, yet wo, who send staunch Government rupporters, who may be likened to regiilar patent safety matches, guaranteed to strike only on the Government box, are left empty handed. It is earnestly to tip hoped that the Chamber will not lose aigii'c of this wry important matter during the coming year. —Amendments to Legislation.— "In concert with other Chambers of Commerce throughout the Colony, strong resolutions ha,ve been passed and forwarded to the proper authorities on the following* measures:—Trade Monopolies Bill; the Shops and Offices Act, and tho Patent Medicine Regulation Act,

—Butter Adulteration.— ',' A deputation from this Chamber which Waited upon the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Sir Joseph Ward, wus assured that the Government will at once take steps ta secure the discontinuance of Dutch adulteration of -Now Zealand butter, terj

—Trade and Shipping Returns.— "I have to thank tho Collector ot Customs for New Plymouth and Patea, and the secretaries of tho Harbour Boards at New Plymouth and Waitara, for the very complete and comprehensive shipping statistics furnished to this Chamber. (The majority of these figures, have already been published.) "Having altered the termination' of our financial year we are not able to compare tho returns with those of last year, but the, figures show our exports have substantially increased. "Our shipping returns ulso point to an increase in the volume of tradq for this port. -Tho tonnage .berthed at the breakwater for the year ending March 31, 1904, was 219,835, as against 203,170 for the previous year. During tho same period vessels of an aggregate tonnage of 49,239 wore berthed at the port of Waifcuru, as compared with a tonnage of 47,941 for the previous year v —Good Market for Staple Products.— "In tho early part of the year sonio anxiety was felt regarding tho prices of our staple products in the English market. As tho season advanced, however, a better foeljng prevailed, and the market firmed in butter, foreign meat and gruin, while wool rose lo a price which has not boon touched for many years. The advance in the price of wool for last season roseltd in a gain to shippers of £1,205 # 895. I think tile time iiatf come for the Government to take into consideration whether the annual sultyidy Of £30,00 we are puying for the South African steamer service might discontinued, f or the colony would be the gainer had this sum been l used to road the Utckblocks, 11 Tho President concluded* bv movinsi tho adoption of the report, —Balance Sheet.—

The balanco-shcot flowed that the subscriptions received for tho year a. mounted to £7O 17s 6d. ITio cxpanditurc amounted to £Stt 13s lid, and tho credit balanco on Murch 31 stood at £24 jis Id. , Mr J. C. (ieorge, in second/ing tho adoption of t)iu report and balanceshoot, complimented tHo Clunriiian his oxcjllent address, and supported ills remarks in regard to roads in the backblocks. He referrod in aiv prcciatJive terms of the work of Mi; H'. Bedford, ns secretary. The report and balanco-shoct wer® unanimously adopt**]...

—Dairy .Produce Freights.— Mr Newton King drew attention to the reduction in freights on butter and cheese, owing i 0 the efforts of the National Dairy Association.. Tho saving to tho dairying industry w aß estimated at £25,000 per annum, and meant, a, great deal to the district and tho colony in general.On Mr King's motion, sscondeS bj;

Mr George, it wis agreed. witM 0»T | Chairman's ctMugot, to adde. dlaus* to the annual report, congratulating the National Dairy Association an tho splendid concessions, and thanking the Association on behalf of tho dim trict. —Question of Freights.— Mr J. B. connett, who is Chairman of th» New Plymouth Harbour Hoard, drew attention to tho freights prevallin;:. from th's port. By arrangement with tho Dairy Association and the shipping companies all butter shipped direct went at lOs per. ton, which under the .existing an rangpnients did not affect tho trade, but v hen consigned elsjw hcro than to England, such as to South Africa, Australia, and other parts of the colony, the charge levied wan 15s per ton- As Chairman of the Freezing Works Company, he (Mr Connett) had been trying to 1 get' the chargtt reduced to 10s per ton, to bring New Plymouth into lim* with other ports. The Union Company was still considering tho matter, and ho was told that a reduction to 12s (id was Cikelyr but ho held that 10s was a reasonable charge* At present it paid to ship at Patea, and tho tendency was to also do freezing and storing trade there, so that both tho New Plymouth' Freezing Works and the Harbour Board we.-o losing by the prosent arrangement. Mr Nowton Kins recognised that the Un on Con.pany .had served Tar ranaki \ery well, and they generally had conceded to them anything that was reasonable. Therefore he considered the company should be urged, in the interests of the trade, to make the reduction to 10s. On ?he motion of Mr King, a resolution was (ferried asking the| company to reduce the Charge to 10s in line with other ports.

—Mountain Houae Accommodation.—t Mr Shaw moved 'That tie Council of the Chamber to urged to bring before the Government the necessity or completing the metalling of the Egiaont Rood to tho present Mountain House, and providing a new and up-to-date accommodation houpo; and that Messrs Jtotungi, and Smith, members for %mont and Taranaki, be asked to co-operate in ♦Jri" direction."

Mr Kerr, in seconding tho motion, supported this site aa tho beak

Mr Coilis said that despite tbo poor accommodation,' thero were 5000 visitors to the mountain on all sides last year. He thought the best policy was to get the metalling completed first, as the road- from luglewood was the "hortest route, nd gave this Bide an advantage wfaetf the question of site for tbo ' house wa 8 considered.

The motion was carried ly—Election of Officers.'i"he election of officers resulted President, Mr W. W. Ambury; Via President, Mr F, 3. Johns ; CoiniDifetea : Me s srs J. Jj, Connett, • Newton King, 0. Samuel, J. C. George, a. H. Morgan, M. Fraser, J. 'Paul, W. i and A. Goldwator 'j &ud)bor tat a fee of £\ Is), Mr H. Bayly. _ The retiring President was thanked for his services during the yuar, and in reply ' expressed geatilflcation at lite attendance and' the interest i taken in the work of tho Chamber,