The Daily News TUESDAY, MARCH 18. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.:

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 13 March 1906, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, MARCH 18. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.:

Any band of intelligent men, gathered together to discuss matters affecting ( all or any of the men, and thus ' affecting many outsiders whom such i men represent, by the interchange of 1 thought and opinion, may ell'ejt de- 1 sirable reforms. It does not matter whether the men discuss football or business or politics. " Two heads are better than one," and a dozen are better than two. Recommendations of any body of men, who have by conference given to the world evidence of tlnir wisdom, have many times, especially in Njw Zealand, formed the basis of legislation, reform, or have been of general benefit t) the con munity. * # # * It is not too much to say that the many Chambers of Commerce in New Zealand have been a potent' factor in guiding tiic Legislature in matters of trade.' Although men representing a community of interest are useful on such lolies, men who have special or expert knowledge of the subjects discussed are of course the most valuable. The ideal chamber of commerce i-i one whose members shyw a preponderance of business men in the commercial sense. The Chamber of Commerce that is not ideal is tl(6 one where professional men predominate. Maybe it is useful for learned brothel's as a school of elocution, or a Club where they may air their opinions on various subjects, having little application to the subject in hand. The most useful members of Parliament are not those who have what the Scotch call "the gift of the gab." Many men who fumble their Knglish may be a decided cut above the learned brethern aforesaid in the matter of hard-headed commercial reasoning. Eloquence, deductive logic from not-understood premises , may while away a half hour to the enjoyment of all concerned, but it won't make history. We would rather hear the opinion of Ah Fat o 1 the potato plague than the ojinion of counsel on the same subject.You would probably get flowers from 1 counsel and tubals from John.

* # ♦ *■ Tan New Plymouth Chauibar of Commerce bus a magnificent ullkvial field bet'ovo it. It has a unique opportunity, not only of distinguishing itself, but in conferring benefits 011 Taranaki. Let us hear from men who are in commerce and who' know something of the great country-side, Let the dominant voices of the Chamber admit that the Chamber ought to bo something more than a school of elocutionary effort. Tarauaki is woefully need of development. Peculiarly favored as it is, rich in pastoral lands and minerals, and the wealth that Nature has showered on it, its trade mid commerce, esespec.ially that of New Plymouth, is still in the toddling stage of infancy. The Chamber of Comiwroe, considering these things should see with the eye of the producer, the eye of the middleman, and the eye of the importer. It wants to agitate and work to get reading from the back-blocks to the Coast. The finest pastoral nr mineral country is little good to the people of Tarauaki if it is difficult to get there and impossible to get back with the proceeds of labor. It is the province of the Chamber of Commerce to find a means, make a noise, tell the people, rouse them up, rouse the Govornme.it up. rouse the local bodies up.

* * « s Tue future of New Plymouth is assured. It must be a very important town some day. The qittestion for the Chamber of Commerce is, Shall this happen while we are 011 the spot,, or shall our children or children's children find the means of securing what was obviously meant for this generation ? The discussion of these matters, so vitally interesting to the people of Taranaki, is the work of the Chamber of t'omme'iee. ~ It is, however, for committees composed of men having special knowledge of subjects discussed to consider workable schemes for the opening up of the blackblocks and the possession of the wealth that is lying unclaimed. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce, which is perhaps the model body of that kind in the colony, lays great value on the small committee plan. The constitution and procedure of a Chamber should be very similar to those of Parliament. The professional element in the local ChtmLor, if split up, might form very valuable make-weights in committees, but would lie doing better work for Taranaki il it kid its eloquence under a bushel more frequently. The people of Tarauaki are singularly slow to see the enormous advantages to be derived from the development of the province. It is the_ stranger troni afar who will grasp the bone while Taranaki is playing with tho shadow, if Tarauaki does not wake up. Aild the men who ought to shout iu the ear of Taranaki are the members of the Chamber of Commerce.