HISTORY OUTLINED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 44, 1 December 1938, Page 6

HISTORY OUTLINED

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.

INFLUENCE IN THE DOMINION. WORK OF THE JUNIOR BODIES. The origin, objects, and work of the Chambers of Commerce in the British Empire wore briefly outlined in an interesting address by Mr Cl. A. Gilchrist (president of the Ashburton Chamber) to a combined meeting of the Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce today. Mr Gilchrist also gave a short review of the recent conference at Auckland.

The Chamber of Commerce originated through international trade, said Mr Gilchrist, so it was natural they should first come into being in maritime cities. The first Chamber was formed in Marseilles in 1650. It was not imtii 100 years later, in 1768, that the first British Chamber was established, this being in Je*sey. Within a month another Chamber was formed in New York, hut was not a British Chamber for very long. To-day there were over 2000 Chambers in the United States, all linked up with the main Chamber at Washington. The Federated Chamber of the British Empire, in London, was at the head of the 750 British Chambers. This great London Chamber is of comparatively recent formation, it being only 57 years ago when, it was constituted. The Auckland Chamber was older than that, having been formed in 1856: Thirty Chambers in Dominion. “There are now 30 Chambers throughout New Zealand, all linked with the Associated Chamber of Commerce at Wellington,” continued Mr Gilchrist. The function of the Chamber was to serve the commercial and industrial systems, the trade groups, and the community generally. Mr Gilchrist read a portion of a speech made by the late King George V., at a trade conference shortly before his death. “We live in an age of competition,” said His Majesty. “The struggle between nations is not one of arms, hut of trade, and it is to the Chambers of Commerce, the eyes and ears of our national commercial system, that we turn for help and guidance. They it is who can collect and promptly distribute information, stimulate the home manufacturer toward meeting the wants of the consumer, and bring to the solution of the vast and complex problems of international trade, their knowledge, experience, and counsel.” “In these words,” said Mr Gilchrist, “may be summed up the objects, the work, and the value of the Chambers of Commerce.”

The Junior Chambers. The Chamber knew no politics, continued the speaker although it had to consider political matters. It was its responsibility to tender advice whatever the party in power. Mr Gilchrist referred to the recent developments in the formation of Junior Chambers in the Dominion. There were four such Chambers already, with the possibility of a fifth starting soon. Stating that it gave the younger men an interest in commerce and polities, Mr Gilchrist hold that such bodies should he encouraged as much as possible. . It would give members a good grounding so that they in turn would he able to guide the affairs of commerce as they come along. He stressed the point that every assistance should be given by the Senior Chambers to the junior organisations already formed. He considered that hy discussions and debates the young man could he helped and his ideas would he developed along the right lines. The Conference at Auckland. Mr Gilchrist briefly outlined the remits discussed at the annual conference at Auckland recently. He read a report of the Mayor of Auckland’s welcome to the delegates, in which His Worship pointed out the need of cooperation with the Government. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance said that there was no such thing as flight, of money from the country, continued Mr Gilchrist, while just recently another .Cabinet Minister was railing against the unpatriotic people who were causing it. He held that the drop in the London funds was not altogether attributable to the flight of money from New Zealand, but to the heavy importation, the drop of production in New Zealand, and the drop of prices of exportaTue goods. It seemed as if the Labour Government was not likely to adopt many of the apparent remedies for this drop.

“How has Labour responded to the appeal for better co-operation?” asked Mr Gilchrist, who referred to the recent strikes. He made special mention of the wharf workers in Auckland. A gang there where the equipment was most up-to-date loaded 6 tons, while in Australia a gang of the same size, working for the same time would load 30 tons. When he was in Auckland a merchant had told him that one shipping company was going, to give that port a miss in the future. “It is not only the strikers themselves that arei going !to suffer,” said the speaker. “You and I are paying for the cost of production going up.” No one was ever prosecuted as a result of these strikes, hut if a> shopkeeper made a little breach of an award, the Labour Department would soon he down upon him. Referring to the income tax on companies, Mr Gilchrist said it was an unjust move of the Government. “The companies themselves get little or im bene lit out of the Social Security Act.”

Deploring the fact that the Government was not taking adequate' steps for the defence of the country, the speaker said there was no hesitation in making trade unionism compulsory, while the Government set its faoo against ensuring adequate and necessary defence. On behalf of the Rotary Club, Dr. .T. Russell Wells (president) thanked the speaker for his interesting and instructive address.