CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9521, 14 September 1896, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The regular monthly meeting of the Committee of the Chamber was held on Thursday. The President (Mr F. Waymouth) occupied the chair. It was reported that representations had been made to the members for Canterbury to urge upon the Government the necessity for providing on the estimates for the construction, of a rabbit-proof fence in South Canterbury. The result had b«**n that the Minister for Lands had stated that he would bring in a Bill to enable rabbit districts to be formed and a local Board elected, with power to borrow money from the Government. The following communication wa_ received from the Loudon Chamber of Commerce, re damage to Australasian hides and sheepskins from ill flaying :— " London, 3rd July. "Secretary Chamber of Commerce, " Christchurch.

" Dear sir,—The leather trade section of this Chamber has for a long time past had its attention drawn to the grievously unsatisfactory way in which a large portion of the hides and sheepskins imported from AustraKsia come to hand, due to the recklesness and undue use of the knife by the butcher. The result of this is a very serious loss, which, by the exercise of proper and constant vigilance, could in a very large measure be avoided, thereby rendering the goods more valuable and of readier sale. The section fears that the serious character and extent of the damage is not i-ealised by those concerned, and the following facts are of interest in this connection:—(l) The import of Australasian hides, including tanned hides, into the United Kingdom (based on the average of four years ending 31st December, 1895) is about 540,000. The number of hides shipped to the Continent direct from Australasia is so small that in \-iew of the difficulties of getting reliable figures they are not recognised. It is estimated by the best authorities that the loss per hide on the whole number received cannot be less than 2s. (2) The import of Australasian sheepskins (skins in the wool, salted pelts and basils) into the United Kingdom is estimated at 10,820,000 per annum, these figui.3 being based on the average of the past four years. To this total must be added the woolskins shipped from Australasia direct to the Continent of Europe, the mean average of which from New South Wales and Victoria for the four years ending 31st December, 1894, is 1,474,453 per annum, ex] elusive of any which might be so shipped by the other colonies. The gross quantity of sheepskins, consisting of wool skins, pelt, and basils, exported annually from all the Australasian colonies then work out as follows : —To the United Kingdom 10,820.210; to the Continent of Europe 1,474,453; total 12,294,663. Upon sheepskins we estimate the loss at 2d each skin over the whole number, and Aye may add that one of the largest dressers of sheepskins in the United Kingdom has just said— "If it were possible to get the skins from the sheeps' backs without a knife mark on the flesh side, I am of opinion that it would add from 2s to 6s per dozen to the value of the pelts. The figures given above show the annual loss to Australasia, due to bad butchering, to be as follows, viz :—Hides 540,000, at 2s each, £54,000; sheepskins 12,294,663, at 2d each, £102,455 10s 6d; total £156,455 10s 6d. This annual loss would pay interest at 4 per cent, on a capital sum of no less than £3,911,388 2s 6d. As one of the leading objects of your Chamber is the fullest and most beneficial development of the resources of the colonies, the section feels sure of your hearty co-operation, and has the fullest confidence that you will take the needful steps to bring the subject of this circular before the notice of slaughterers and shippers with a view of remedying this preventible evil to the benefit of all concerned.—Kenric B. Murray, Secretary." It was decided that the Committee obtain information h_ce with respect to the damage done.

A letter was also read from the London Chamber of Commerce, asking the co-opera-tion of the Chamber in the obtaining of exhibits of colonial products for the Brussels Internatienal Exhibition of 1897.

The Sydney Chamber of Commerce wrote, stating that it was proposed to hold a Conference of Australasian Chambers of Commerce in Sydney during the month of November next, and asking if Canterbury woxild be represented. It was decided to communicate in the first place with the other New Zealand Chambers with a view of appointing two representatives for the whole colony.