COMMERCIAL MEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 10659, 28 November 1925, Page 6

COMMERCIAL MEN.

THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. MANY REMITS AND RESOLUTIONS

(Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, November 27. The Chambers of Commerce Conference concluded to-day, when the following remits and resolutions were adopted: “ That the Minister of Customs be urged to continue his efforts tow aid more satisfactory tariff arrangements between Australia and New Zealand. “That special measures he taken to impress on British capitalists Dominion potentialities, with a view to inducing their active participation in working undeveloped resources, and the institution and expansion of industries. The remits appreciative of the new spirit of public service displayed by the Railway jQepartnient, particularly the commercial section, were passed. It also urged the Department to. experiment with a night train service between Christchurch and Dunedin during the Exhibition. " “That the conference affirms the vital necessity to New Zealand of the protection and maintenance of trade routes, and urges the Government to provide a more adequate contribution toward the cost of Empire defence. “ That this conference views with misgivings the proposal to institute compulsory control and marketing of dairy produce from August 1, 1925, under the powers given by the Government to the Dairy Control Board. It is hoped that the powers given to the Dairy and Moat Control Boards for compulsory marketing be repealed. “ That the conference recommends all Chambers of Commerce to use their influence with the commercial community for the importation into New Zealand of British goods rather than goods from outside the Empire.’’ “ That the conference urge upon companies and others having money to lend again to consider favourably first mortgage investments on farm lands and help farmers in the great difficulty experienced in arranging finance.” “ That this conference expresses alarm at the large and ever-increasing indebtedness of local bodies throughout the Dominion, and that the Government he urged to inquire into the matter with a view to checking unnecessary borrowing.” “ That in the opinion of this conference the time lias arrived to define legitimate local body trading, with a view to its proper limitation by legislation, and in order to prevent public bodies competing unfairly with their own ratepayers. It is recognised that all general utility supplies to the public such as electricity, water, tramways, drainage, etc., which it is unwise to leave in the. hands of privato enterprise, and profits from which rightly belong to the ratepayers and consumers or persons supplied, should he controlled by public bodies; hut beyond these it is deemed inadvisahlo for public bodies to embark on enterprises which compete with legitimate private trading.” “ That this conference again protests against the retention of the formula now in use for determination of a basic wage as being admittedly applicable to the circumstances of only one-tentli of the wage-earners in the Dominion, and in the best interest of the State urges the Government to consider the possibility of adopting some method more in accord with actual conditions.” “ That the executive take the necessary steps to have representatives of importers and of exporters of non-re-frigerated cargo associated with the Meat and Dairy Produce Boards when arranging annual contracts for the carriage of overseas goods to the United Kingdom.” The election *of officers resulted : President, Mr A. H. Mackrell (Invercargill) ; vice-president, Mr W. Machin (Canterbury); committee, Mfessrs A. McKenzie and J. R. Simnson (Wellington), J. B. Richards (Stratford), P. Barr (Dunedin), and A. A. Martin (Auckland). The next conference will bo held in Wellington.