THE DOMINION'S TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 51, 19 February 1908, Page 2

THE DOMINION'S TRADE.

OCR NEED OF POPULATION. • DISCUSSED bFcHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Per Press Association. Wellington. Last Xi-hl. The annual meeting oi the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was held to-day. The chairman (Mr. J. G. HarknoSs) in a lengthy address, referred to the gratifying increase in the Dominion's trade, the volume showing an increase for tin; year of over live and a-half million pounds. He urged .the necessity for more careful preparation and supervision in the maintenance of the quality of produce exported. One prominent feature in connection with the export trade was that wool, frozen meat, dairy protallow, and hemp showed substantial increases in quantity, lie regrettwl that grain had almost vanished as an item in the export returns. The dairying industry showed steady development and prices in London were abnormally high, but unfortunately the drought had considerably shortened supplies. The population' of the Dominion was not increasing as it should, and judicious immigration was desirable! In regard to the new Customs tariff, Mr Harkness remarked: "When vou carefully investigate the returns'and find that out of a total export valued at £10,087,073, over £19,250,000 is s lm . plied by primary producers who also supplied consumers in t m . eolonv with produce to the value of 014,000,000 making a grand total of K33,250n00 wrung from the. soil one mav be pardoned if they hesitate in a country si-cli as Ww" Zealand and submit to' themselves lor solution the problem. Whv bene" rV'T '.!" '"" ,nlis " 11 Utr ♦"'« benelil. of the few;- Mv r ,. Shirtelille in speaking to the motion for the adontion of the report, said that (he Domin">"/l>r™ red to be living prcltv well ft.r's.St-j's.'tfe.'T; increasing af „ ~,-eater r,li„ ( |i-,>i i lr . population, and .-, stro,,,, ioJCrat o, policy was required. The Govcrnmon would 1, ( , W cll advised to raise i 1. "tdside the DOminio,,: Z lea™ ll", "i"..ey hj, (he country for ~„. J, . 1111111 "I the country.