CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14507, 26 April 1909, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONFERENCE

IMPRESSION'S OK A DELEGATE. HOW WELLINGTON APPEARS TO 'A VISITOR. At tho conference of New Zealand C'liambfis of Commerce, lipid in Wellinglun last wes-k, Duuedin was represented by Mr 0. Mi'licrrou (president), and Mr Peter Barr (secretary). Mr J. Loudon, win) had also been appointed as a delegate. was unable to be present, and on ■ account uf the Easter holidays and several prominent members of the Dunedin Chamber being Yolunleer officers and engaged in their duties in that capacity, it was ini|>ossible for tliem to be present. It is imped that the next conference will be held at such a time as will not clash with tho Easter engagements. Mr llarr returned to Dunedin on Tuesday night, and gave a Daily Times reporter some of hia impressions of the business of the conference and of the city. '•I think," said Mr Barr, "that the conference may lie spoken of as on the whole a decided success. There were 19 chanibors represented, and about 40 delegates present. Of these, Wellington sent live. ChristclHirch four, and Dunedin two. The Dunediu delegates regretted very much that tho city was not more fully represented. The conference occupied three full _ days, and every delegate took some part in the proceedings. Several of the debates were most interesting and well worth jistening (o. The Wellington representation was particularly strong in effective speakers, and' exercised very considerable influence in all tho discussions. The agenda jiaper was a very long one, containing no less than 40 subjects for discussion. Fivo or six of these wore cut out and others of less importance were taken together. The Wellington papers gave very full reports of tho discussions, more so than of any similar gathering in Wellington that I have known of. The dinner at the Grand Hotel given by the Wellington Chamber was a successful function, and particular interest was felt in the presence and speech of the Prime Minister. Wellington commercial men, however, were not at all adequately represented. The presence of the Prime -Minister and the reception which ho gave later on to a deputation in the Cabinet room are indications of what seems to be a chango in the Ministry towards the Chambers of Commerce. This appears to be quite different from the position some years since, when the chambers were labelled 'Tory institutions,' and their representations were treated with scant courtesy. Sir Joseph Ward expressed warm approval of the proposed federation of chambers, and staled that the Ministry would always welcome tho advice of such a representative body us that would be, and showed by his whole tearing a willingness to recognise tho Chambers of Commerce as voicing the opinions of tho commercial community. .Your journal has already well reported the proceedings of the conference, so I need not enter into details. It is worth noting that it was unanimously decided to form at once a federation of the Chambers of the Dominion. This was agreed to on the motion of Mr ,T. G. Harkness, of Wellington, who delivered a most eloquent speech upon the position that the Chambers of Commerce should occupy, and the great influence they might exercise. " One of the most, important subjects discussed was that of the bankruptcy law; it occupied several hours. A special commilteo was set up to report, and this report. was finally adopted. Very valuable assistance was given to the conference by Mr, Myers, solicitor, As the Minister for Justice (Dr Findlay) has invited expressions of opinion from the Chambers of Commerce on this question, and there is a unanimous feeling that, subject to some diflerences as to detail, some alteration is required, I have no doubt the Minister will bring forward legislation during next, session, and it is Quito likely there will be a reversion to some extent to the system of appointing trade or private assigness in lieu oMho present Official Assignee. As set forth in the lengthy resolution finally adopted by Ihe conference, it was unanimously felt that the administration of the present system has been, and is, extremely unsatisfactory, and in many respects defective. and that it is essential in the interests of traders that tho Government siipuld take steps to improve the administration as it now exists, or to alter tho scheme of administration completely. The conference favoured tho adoption of a system providing for one central control aud.for the substitution of approved 'and registered trade assignees with statutory powers in lieu of the present Official Assignees and their deputies. It also approved of the retrislratioii of all assignments for tho benefit of creditors, aud of all insolvencies, and complete record of Ihese being kept. The passing of the Accountant Societies Act last, session and the establishment of a body of men, many of whom will doubtless be well qualified to administer such estates, was particularly noted, and had some influence in leading the conference to its decision in this matter.

"*\ VM 7 strong spuec-h was delivered by Mr N. Kettle, ul' .\;u,ier, ou Mm subject of i lie mortgage tax »t:<J the graduated land tux, ill- Kettio urging tnat t-iicac taxes ware tho 'iitans ol' driving a Jurgo a-mouiit of capital out of tile Dominion, ibis was oliaJii'iiged by the Prime Ministar during hip spi-eeli at the dinner tho tame evening, replied to bj Mr Kettle at tho next sitting of the conference, and again referred io by the Prime .Minister when t-hei deputation waited upon him on ilis closing <la-y. Tito Commissioner of lums imported into the discussion, ami the rnattc v.as referred to in theleading columns of ouch of the newspapers, awakening ,-erj guueiral interest. It eeeinpd to me fliiat the Prime Minister was tiiirly suoc-sssfm mi hU reply, when contcr.dinj' Uiio other •nlluenoes, such as land losftslation and the general condition of the financial world, voro responsible for any removal ofjeupita-I from the Dominion; but Jie quits le satisfy the conference thiij lis was .eight, in nuiting that a. tax on income from mortgagor would ho heavier in itj incidents than tbo present mortgage lax. ft is, of course, evident that if the mortgage lax w removed somctliiiiy must be substituted, and from the Prjnio Minister n , r-e.niit.rk6_ <.i, i= clear that whatever is substituted will be. about equal to the tax removed. He, however, indicated fairly clearly that ho 's the question of the removal of the mortgage tax. ,''A most, informative paper on the working of tihe Arbitration Acts was read by Jir Broad head, secretary of l.lio Canterbury Industrial Association. The writer took tip a strongly conservative and condemnatory attitude, f. )vos interested to note' that it. was followed by a speech from Mr David Nathan, of Wellington, who put botli aides of the question before the conference, emphasising the reasonableness of unionism while deprecating going to extremes, and that the Dominion is aa a wnola satisfied _ v.-ith t ho legislation, the public paying tor i lie shorter hours and increased cost of production. Mr Nathan spoke somewhat strongly 86 to the apathy of merclwnta, traders, and manufacturers in this connection. Mr Shirtclilfe, of Wellington, replied to Mr Nathan, setting out tlvat tihe price of manufactures is governed by importations, and consequently that out 1 manufactures should not be hampered. Mr Mariner, pvesij|ent of the Christehurc-h Chamber, also oricioised -Mr Nathan's relnajlw, and ch? -discussion Vfas finally closed. by Mr J. Ti, Wait-on, of Lurercitrgill, who, with Scottish caution, advised that, tbo conference :-hor.!d rwt\; from niea'cly academic fiiocussion. None (he Idm it w interesting. '1 was surprised that more initrest was not taken in (-Ire approaching Congress of Cluimheid oi Commcvce of tJio Empire, to bo hold in Sydney in September, a.nd on my motion it was resolved to draw tho attention vf the individual obambcrs of t.lie Dominion to talis eongres* and its great important! r.n<! interest, and the advisableness of each chamber being -adequately represented thereat. "The question of ocean mail services aromed an animated discussion, during which the patriotic advocacy of the 'All Rett' route ivas prominent--indeed, ai- one stags I expected to hear '-lie National Anthem started. Mr M'Pharson read a valuable papp.r dealing ivith the subject, which was iuuc.lt appreciated The president of uio Christchureh Ohamlier Tim red a resolution in favour yf the iTanadifinPacific routs and lhe subsidising of ilia Vancouver line. This gavn rise an amendment from Auckland in favour of tho reinstatement of the Sail Francisco service, with Auckland as tho port of call. After i somewhat lively duel befavosa ihe Wellington and Auckland representatives, i-he resolution tn favour of tho All Red' route was carried wit-liout dissent. A subsequent motion in favour of the re-r»tablisfiiw.nt of tho 'Fritto sevic" was lost. "The subject of colonial defence forth a number of speeches from rr.-i, -if oxp:r;-:i!eo in connection with Volunteering iiisil?r#, such us Mr Watson (of Inv'.-.wur-gilll._MrKe.Mle (of Napier), and Mrttitjitr (of C'lirisftbiirt-h), and a resolution in fi.-,ui;r oi univorsal Induing was carried with soma enthusiasm. "The only matter in which anything like a parochial tono jvag jnwiUKQi was

in ooaneotttw with the discussion on the prcraooation of aitwajr oanstmcfion. K'.tnlutoorig \sfiro oo t-he artfcn: papur ,in favour J completion of kwcbu aihw.ys, and j* m J opinio® is TTcniki have been better if } :a , MS appeared. Itt anj caw, the mental a ocult ioilorasd, m<J dilfcront f™™ endeavoured to vlvocato tha olima of tlieir own parfculaj diafccicti A " J- South Island spotch Tfaj .in by Mr .Barter, of Napjor, ia *i»ieh 41,0 cJal " ,s of tj '« Gislxiniomi* our J>«sideut (Mr nr rkfnf fL WWt tllia b * X«* cait, f 1 to advocate th# uaiius „t * n.unbra: of d OTO . ffifrVphlffi a toiiwwllat Cfelnm Cn Auckland, moml Z the eomplct.oD o£ thos ß *"*? ■to Blenheim. m/tS, "~ anicndmeiit m favour of this T ho • Palmeraton North JI ,«eded, m spite of the objection of £ chair, in interjecting a strong approval of theaction of the Govenunent in stop 4 tb# UvCTWiM-ltasburgii lino, character!* lfc »» job. We, of course were unable to jeply to this, and it was an evidence of tho nmvisdoro of allowing tho matter to be discussed at all. Fiinllt Mr M'Ca.lWs motion was carried biit onlj on the casting vote of the chairman. "It wis agreed that tihe nest confwen'c. be held in Auckland"

.Asked concerning Jii6 impressions of Wei lingtoti, Mt Ban said: "On each succeeding' visit to Wellington I am impressed with tho increasing activity of tho place and its ("rowing resemblance to the larger cities. There is no evideuoo on the surface of the prevailing depression. Building is appajently going on actively, quite a number of large buildings being in course oi construction in the centre of the city, and on tho hilla surrounding it dwellings art. being erected in all sorts of and extraordinary positions. There is evidently money still available for all that the inhabitants want in the. way of amusement. 'The Merry Widow' appeared to bo drawing crowded liotuei, and I noticed tho crowd right across tho pavojnent soon after 5 o'clock iu tho evening, •waiting for admission. At the sanio time, that the depression is really being felt is evident when one inquires a little below tho surface. I understand that one firm of solicitors dismissed no less than fivo clerlas just before Eastor, and a friend informed mo that there has been a very serious reduction in the conveyancing work in solicitors' officcs. Money is 6imply not available far lending purposes, and where a tow 'oans tire, put through they are ac rates such'as 8 and oven 10 per cont. In this respect I think that things are much' more serious in Wellington than in Dunedin."