WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8717, 13 February 1894, Page 5

WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

(£_UCSS ASSOCIATION TEtKTBAM.) WELLINGTON, February 12. The annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce took place to-day, the President (Mr D. T. Stuart) in the chair. The Chairman presumed they mightaccept the advocacy of the New' Zealand Times of the central route for the North Island Trunk Railway as an indication that the Ministry favoured adherence to the original line as decided upon when the relative loan was rawed. This was a matter for congrataiation. Referring to the fact that the Government commission on the administration of bankrupt estates last year amounted to £17a as against £152 in 1892, he said it was manifest that any such sum fell far short of the amount realised for salaries. Of course they would be rejoiced if snch commission dwindled to the vanishing point, but there would always be unfortunates in business. Private assignments were largely resorted to, thereby diverting the commission from the department. He suggested that the stamp duty on private assignments be increased from 10s to £5. As to the development of the exports of the colony, he proposed to compare that for the year ended 30th September last wilh the corresponding three years. If they included goid and omitted re-exports and specie they arrived at the totals in £ sterling in New Zealand produce. For the year ending 30th September, 1890, the figures were £9,641,000, 1891 £9.623.900, 1892 £9,152,800, 1893 £9,000,200. That represented a total decliue of £640,800 since 1890. Iv the New Zealand Trade Review cf November 30th appeared an interesting aud suggestive table in which values were computed on the respective quantities of each year, but one uniform basis of valuations of the latest of the quoted periods, namely, that ended September 30. h last. Thus was afforded a fair measure of the comparative volume of those four years. The aggregate exports were, to September 30th, 1890, £8,938,700 ; 1891, £9,223,600 : 1892, £8,778,800; 1893, £9,000,200. The value of exports to last September was thus shown to exceed that of all other periods except 1891. From figures furnished by tbe Secretary he extracted the quantities or weights of some of the leading staples exported in the two years ending 30ttiSeptember,1892, and 1893. The wool was 110,860,0001b and 119,642,8001b respectively, and frozeumeatß44,2oocwt and 926,790uwt. He noted the following increases in favour of the 1893 period: — Wheat, 437,200 bushels ; maize, 54,900 bushels; beans and peas, 38,400 bushels j hemp, 1400 tons ; butter, 500 cwt; cheese, 6100 cwt; tallow, 300 tons ; kauri gum, 100 tons. Some of the decreases were : — Preserved meats, 13,800 cwt; cured and salted meats, 8100 cwt; oats, 2.418,600 bushels; barley, 134,000 bushels; malt, 39,700 bushels; flour, 1200 tons; bran and sharps, 4600 tons; oatmeal, 15,000 cwt. The exports since 1863, he showed, had increased by | £5,499,000, and the Customs revenue since : 1863 was increased from £592,000 to I £1,670,000, and the imports for the year ! ending 30th September, 1893, amounted to i £6,843,582. ' The report was adopted. Mr J. B. Harcourt moved—"That this Chamber records its high appreciation of the admirable management by the late Commissioners of Railways of the colony, and is jof opinion that the service cannot but suffer i through being deprived of the benefits of the great experience possessed by Messrs Maxwell and Hanhay." Mr T. Reeves said in this case the first thing they had to do was to consider the dignity of the Chamber, and having already passed a report which contained almost the very words Mr Harcourt had so ably amplified it would be inconsistent to negative it. At the same time, however, he would like to say he agreed with every word the mover had said iii praise of Messrs Hannay and '•• Maxwell, and tor , that reason he disagreed with the resolution. Mr Harcourt had j not 9aid one word as to the second part of the resolution, which he (Mr Keeves) took was a censure, not only on the Hew Commissioners, but upon the Government and on the policy the Government intended to go upon, of which the Chamber had not oue scintilla of evidence before them. Before all things they should be businesslike, and should not form opinions before they had had an opportunity v. of knowing whether the service was ? going to suffer, and they could not possibly tell that before they had the policy of the Government placed before Parliament. The resolution was then put and carried. A motion supporting the report of the Select Committee of the New South Wales Legislative Council regarding the Costa Rica packet case was carried.