INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF THE). (Mr. SYDNEY G. SMITH, Chairman.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1929 Session I, I-13

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1929. NEW ZEALAND.

INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF THE). (Mr. SYDNEY G. SMITH, Chairman.)

Presented to the House of Representatives, and ordered to be 'printed.

ORDERS OF REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Friday, the 2nd Day of August, 1929. Ordered, " That a Select Committee be appointed, consisting of ten members, to deal with all matters in connection with industries and commerce ; with power to call for persons, papers, and records ; three to be a quorum : the Committee to consist of Mr. Ansell, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Harris, Mr. H. Holland, Mr. Munns, Mr. Savage, Mr. Smith, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Wilkinson, and the mover."'—(Hon. Mr. Cobbe.) Friday, the 23bd Day of August, 1929. Ordered, " That parliamentary paper A.-3('Cook and other Islands : Annual Report for 1929 —In continuation of parliamentary paper A.-3 of 1928 '), laid upon the table of the House on the 17th July, bo referred-to the Industries and Commerce Committee."—(Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata.) Wednesday, the 18th Day of September, 1929. Ordered, " That the Licensing Amendment Bill be referred to the Industries and Commerce Committee."— (Mr. Mason.) Thursday, the 19th Day of September, 1929. Ordered, " That it be an instruction to the Industries and Commerce Committee to inquire into the difficulties which affect the marketing of fruit-cases made from New Zealand native timbers and New-Zealand-grown timbers, and generally to inquire into the reasons for the preference now accorded to fruit-cases made from imported timber, and to report to the House its recommendations as to the best means of ensuring the use of local timber in the future."— (Hon. Mr. Taverner.) Thursday, the 3rd Day of October, 1929. Ordered, " That the report of the Cash-order Trading System presented to this House be referred to the Industries and Commerce Committee for consideration and report; the Committee to consider specifically whether the recommendation that the system should be controlled by legislation should be adopted, and, if so, generally to report upon the proposals submitted on page 8 of the report, dealing with the form such legislation should take."—(Hon. Mr. Cobbe.) Friday, the 18th Day of October, 1929. Ordered, " That the petition of J. W. Ranson and others be referred direct to the Industries and Commerce Committee." —(Mr. Fraser.)

REPORTS. No. 270. —Petition of E. W. Humphrey and Samuel Sigall, of Wellington. Praying that the matter of competition at cut rates by other retail traders should be investigated with a view to amending the law to protect tobacconists. I have to report that, as the subject-matter of this petition deals with a question of policy, the Committee has no recommendation to make. 19th September, 1929.

Licensing Amendment Bill. I have the honour to report that the Committee has carefully considered this Bill, and recommends that it be not allowed to proceed, being of opinion that its object should be reserved for consideration when next amendments to the present licensing laws are contemplated. Ist November, 1929.

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Fbuit-case Inquiey. I have the honour to report that in the opinion of this Committee it is considered desirable that steps should be taken during the recess to ensure that fruit-cases should be wholly manufactured in the Dominion, and that the Minister of Industries and Commerce be requested to convene a conference of the fruitgrowers, the sawmillers, and other interested parties to formulate a scheme for consideration by Parliament next session. 7th November, 1929. [Note. —Minutes of evidence brought up and laid on the Table. Not ordered to be printed.]

Cash-oedee Trading System. I have the honour to report that this Committee recommends that the legislation as proposed by the report of the Hon. the Minister of Industries and Commerce and the Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce (H.-43) be introduced, but that the proposals be amended by deleting clauses 3 and 4, the latter part of clause 7 (after the word " twenty-one " to the end), and making an addition to clause 8 providing that the amount advanced should not exceed £10 in any one case. 7th November, 1929.

No. 383.—Petition of J. W. Ranson, of Wellington, and 155 Others. Peaying for an investigation into the methods and conditions of marketing fruit and vegetables in Wellington. I am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee the petition should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration, with a suggestion that the inquiry should cover the whole Dominion. 7th November, 1929.

The " Maui Pomaee." I have the honour tc report that the findings and recommendations of the Committee on this inquiry are as follows : —(1) That the purpose for which the vessel was provided was for a service between Wellington, Lyttelton, Samoa, and Niue, and that such provision was justified; (2) that, with the alterations now provided, she is suitable for the service; (3) that, in the absence of private shipping, the provision of a Government vessel to carry out the present services was justified; (4) that from the technical evidence given, the Committee believes that the "Maui Pomare" is capable of giving good and useful service in the trade for which she was provided, but is of opinion that the crew's quarters should be improved immediately; (5) that the itinerary of the " Maui Pomare " be Wellington and Lyttelton to Apia and Niue; (6) that arrangements be made with a shipping company to take up the Norfolk Island trade ; (7) that suitable arrangements be made for the conveyance of fruit by rail from Lyttelton to Dunedin. 7th November, 1929. [Note. —Minutes of evidence brought up and laid on the Table. Not ordered to be printed.]

Special Rjsi>obt. I have the honour to report that the Industries and Commerce Committee desires to record its great appreciation of the ability and courtesy with which the Chairman, Mr. S. G. Smith, has presided over the meetings of the Committee during the session. It further desires that this resolution shall be recorded in the minutes of the Committee and reported to the House. Alex. Haeeis, 7th November, 1929. ; A member of the Committee.

Final Repobt. I have the honour to report that the Industries and Commerce Committee, consisting of ten members, has held nineteen meetings during the session, and that the average attendance of members at those meetings has been seven. The Committee has reported on a petition in regard to price-cutting in the retail tobacco trade, and on another from retail fruiterers. Under Orders of Reference from the House, it has also reported on the cash-order trading system report (11.-43), the " Maui Pomare," and the Dominion manufacture of export fruit-cases. In all, it has taken evidence from seventy-eight witnesses. 7th November, 1929. Sydney G. Smith, Chairman.

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