'UNSATISFACTORY'

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 22, 27 January 1939, Page 8

'UNSATISFACTORY'

MINISTER'S REPLIES. OFFICIAL STATEMENT. SOME QUESTIONS SETTLED. '"I have never attended a conference conducted on such a high plane —which was largely due to the ability of the chairman —nor one at which the delegates, many of whouj were losing their livelihoods, showed such perfect selfcontrol under very difficult circumstance.*," said Mr. Arnold Ely, president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. "The main gain of the conference is that we have definite answers to definite questions which may help to clarify the position for many of our members." Air. Ely said that the conference represented the largest gathering of importinginterests ever held in this Dominion, there being representatives from Westland, Otago, Canterbury. Nelson. Taranaki. Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Auckland. At the conclusion of the Minister's address- the conference went into committee, questions were invited from the delegates, and a sub-committee wa* appointed to formulate a series of j questions to be dealt with by the Minister of Customs the next day. "As a matter of interest I may mention that the sub-committee was faced with the problem of condensing and co-ordinating 50 or more direct questions and 400 letters embodying questions and suggestions," said Mr. Ely. "This committee sat from 2.30 till 10.30 p.m. co-ordinating tlie various views expressed. On the next day the 33 questions that had been formulated were available in printed form. "The chairman in his opening remarks made certain statements which the conference universally endorsed, but to, which the Minister took some exception. The replies of the Minister were considered by the conference a* a whole to be unsatisfactory, though certain matters were cleared up and some promisee for reconsideration under sj>ecial circumstances were given by the Minister. "The afternoon of the second day of the conference was occupied with a formulation of practical proposals for the meeting* of the situation that had arisen through shortage of London funds. The conference, while accepting the fact of the shortage, was in entire disagreement with the Minister's plan for dealing with that shortage. The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce put up a constructive proposition, and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce supported it in general, adding further euggestions, and in this respect I should like to thank the commercial men of Auckland for the very great assistance they gave us by anewering the questionnaire ieeued to them by the Auckland Chamber. The correlated replies to the questionnaire formed the basis of ■ome very helpful suggestions. "The Wellington Chamber aiso supported Canterbury's proposals, and the meeting decided that a further small committee (which wa* duly nominated at the, meeting) should go further into this matter and present a scheme to the Minister," concluded Mr. Ely.