COMMERCIAL CONGRESS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 190, 15 September 1909, Page 2

COMMERCIAL CONGRESS

THE OPENING PROCEEDINGS.' By Cablet—Press Association.—OopyrlgW r - Sydney, September 14. the I/jid .Mayor, i n the presence of a repiesentativc gathering of business interests, officially received tile delegatss to the Chambers of Commerce Congress in the Town Hall, Uiter the Ueit-iM iVB reasoemblcd in the Centenary Hall, where the Congress is Demg held. Tho Congress Adopted an address ot loyulty to the King, and appointed a committee to consolidate the various resolutions. Karl Dudley, Governor-General, officially opeas the Congress this afternoon,

EARL DUDLEY'S OPENING SPEECH.

BRITONS AS TKADEK6. OPENING THEIiR EYES TO NEW CONDITIONS. Received September 14, 10.15 pjii. Sydney, September 14. When the Conference assembled, the question of voting wad dealt with. Several of the British delegates stated that as they represented several cbaniberi they should have votes for each chamber. After discussion it was decided that the delegates could only vote for one chamber.

On the arrival of Earl Dudley the address to the King was presvnicu to him, which he undertook to cable to bis Majesty. Earl Dudley then, as lion, president, declared the Conference open. He Mid the members came there in no small or «elfish spirit, or with any desire to advance the interests of one portion of tlie Empire at the expense of another, but with the sole aim of retaining that 'position which their forefathers had se cured. .Looking at the position of affairs in the world to-day, he found the real struggle between the various nations was almost entirely concerned with tlio necessity for acquiring increased outlets for trade. To secure the open door abroad was the policy of every modern foreigner, and as year by year the internal resources of every nation became developed and their producing powers increased, the pressure of competition became keener. Some people were disposed to take a very gloomy view of the facts, and to assert that the apex of British prosperity had been reached and that the decadence of the

race had begun. He thought there was no good reason for any auch unpleasant forebodings. They had lost ground, not from a decline in capacity, but owing to the. phenomenal success of other nations, who possessed capabilities not leu great than their own. Their eyes were now opened, and to-day ail over the I Empire they wer,. busily engaged patting their house in order. THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. THE PROGRAMME OF THE CONFER ENCE. IMPERIAL FEDERATION THE AIM.

MANY UNSOLVED PROBLEMS; Received September 14, 10.55 p.m. Sydney, September 14. Sir Albert Spicer, M.P., President of the London Chamber of Commerce, in his ■presidential address, reviewed at length the attainments of previous congresses. Now to Australia they had come from many lands as representatives of Imperial commerce to confer upon subjects of common interest. Imperial federation, which had been the subject of the lirst congress in 188(1, still lay in the distant future, but since the period mentioned tliev had witnessed an evolution in the Australian Commonwealth. Ere the year closed they would M'o the realisation of the South African Union rising out !of the ashes of a lamentable conflict —a conflict made memorable by the evidence of practical loyalty on the part' of the British dominions. The various colonial confer enees which had bet» !ield had done much to encourage the. spirit underlying the aspiration for Imperial federation. Before the next conference met it was within the bounds of possibility they might have wireless telegraphy all over the globe. There were few subjects of «> much importance for binding together an empire as cheap telegraphic coinmunicaition. The press had served them well, but it could not do justico in keeping them fully informed on what was going on in all parts of the Empire at existing telegraphic rates. The important speeches of Imperial statesmen could not be intelligently conveyed in a few lines. The subject was one that had not received the attention it deserved. He hoped they might be able to strengthen the hands of the recent Press Conference in this matter. They would look forward with interest to learn froui> their Australian hosts something of their experience with arbitration in re gard to labor differences. The programme of the present conference contained many unsolved problems. The British Empire was like a great family, whose many sons and daughters had gone from the old home into new lands. The relations between tile young and the old had improved in spite of distance. The period of discipline had developed into that of companionship and consultation. If danger appeared to confront the old home by attacks on, outiyhg lands, the various branches of the family rallied to help. Freedom in the management of the new homes was the keen watchword of the old people at home. Thus, in spite of occasional argument aa. to the various developments, the family contrived to grow in unity and good relations', ever realising that the crimson thivad of kinship runs through all. The parents freely and continuously lent of their accumulation to the children away, and the commercial relations arising therefrom had been large and satis(factory. They must endeavor to pro | mote the best commercial relations bej tween the various parts of the Empire, to try and remove the hindrances where hindrances exist; to promote easier and regular communications between all parts of the British Empire; to assimilate the commercial laws and their administration; to raise the standard of commercial and technical education; to devise wisp 'measures enabling Borne of the, teeming masses' of tic old country at the right age to emigrate to the lands of the newer countries, where they may find opportunities for using their livea to greater advantage, and, at the aame time, take a share in the development of the new states; and to extend the commerce of the empire on lines moit' likely to bo beneficial for oil parts.