CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1917, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

QUARTERLY iIHETING. The quarterly meeting of the New Plymouth Chamber of Commerce tvns held last night. Mr. A. Mcllardy preside!!., there being present: Messrs D. K. Mornson, F. S. Johns, W. J. Penn, 0. N. Firth, T. Avery, H. Cocker, E. 11. Tribe, A. Gold water, S. W. Shaw, R. C. Hughes and W. P. Nicoll. Apologies were received from Messrs R. W. Robertson, L. Nolan, .T. Paton, E. P. Webster and Newton King. The chairman reported that the chief business of the chamber since last meeting was the endeavor to get the morning train from Hawera speeded up. A deputation Jiad been arranged to meet Mr. Hiley, but on advice that it would be useless at present to make any representations on the subject, the matter was allowed to lapse. He hoped it %vas only a matter of waiting'unt il conditions became more normal. Referring to the conference of chambers of commerce, the chairman said the only remit submitted by the local chamber was considered and carried by the conference in the following form: "That in the opinion of this Conference the existing system of taxing profits of joint stock companies is inequitable and wrong in principle, because it may, and in cases does, compel shatfeholdersr who would otherwise be exempt from income-tax, to pay the full rate. As an alternative, it is suggested that such companies should be taxed only on their undivided profits, and that individuals should be accountable for the tax (if any is payable) upon their dividends." The chairman then briefly reviewed the published reports of the meetings of the conference. A mutton of thanks to Mr Manf.on, for his representation of the local chamber at the conference, was carried on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr. Penn. A letter was received from the Wanganui chamber, enclosing a copy of a remit submitted to the conference of chambers of commerce, which called upon the Government to settle the matter of the maintenance of the main arterial roads. The letter contained particulars of a scheme in operation in the State of Victoria, which the Wanganui chamber desired to be adopted in New Zealand.