CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9739, 29 May 1897, Page 6

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, was held yesterday. Present — Messrs E. W. Roper, Vice-President, (presiding), G. Gould, A. H. TurnbuU, J. Gould, Geo. Humphreys, Quane, F. Ross, Charlewood, W. Strange, Hardy, G. T. ! Booth, W. Recce, E. G. Staveley, G. Anderson, W. Chrystall, A. E. G. Rhodes,-C. W.Turner and G. Laurensen. The Chairman said, —Owing to the unavoidable absence of Mr Way mouth, who has recently been called to Loudon on business, the "Presidential duties have faUen somewhat suddenly upon my shoulders. As the time at my disposal has been limited I must crave indulgence for auy omissions in i this report, which has, of course, been somewhat hurriedly prepared. The work of your Committee during the past three i nonths has been of more than ordinary im,p ortanee, aud judging by our correspondence siitiilar Committees throughout the colonies ha'.*e also. been active in developing the con.Werciai. resources of their respective disMicts. FOREIGN COMPETITION. On.receipt of the voluminous report furnisAad by our Chamber upon the foreign goods that compete successfully with English manufacturers in this market, the Home Government asked your Committee to increaft.3 the obligation by collecting samples of the goods -escribed, and by furnishing full particulars as to the place of manufacture* and the prime cost of each article. By the co-operation of our importers the samples were duly collected, and have since been forwarded to the London Chamber of Commerce, where they -will doubtless form an instructive- object lesson for British manufacturers, and merchants. REDTPCTION OF RAILWAY RATES. . Another effort has recently been made by this Chamber to obiain a reduction in -he excessive railway rates that have so long been in force between Lyttelton —id Christchus-ch. As correspondence with the Government and interviews with Ministers had failed to brini? redress, it was resolved to invite the newly-elected members of Parliament representing districts north of the Rangitata to meet your Committee and discuss the best means to obtain justice for Canterbury. Ten mem- , bers of Parliament responded to the invitation and a conference was held here on the 19th March. The objfections to the present ideal railway rates were clearly set out by Messrs Chrystall and Booth. It was ■ shown that the charge for goods on our Port line is 42 per cent, higher than between , Port Chalmers and Dunedin, and our Eassenger rate 45 p'e-r cent, higher than etween Auckland ajdd Gnehunga. As further proof of the unfairness of these rates it was pointed out ti'iat our Port goods traffic is six and a ha\i times greater than on the Port Chalmers, line, and our pasSenger' traffic H rbm five times ae. much as upon the Onehuiiga line. The attend tion of the members was falso drawn to the startling fact that comanercial travellers' tickets for the South'lsland now cost £50 per annum, whilst for the- North Island the I yearly charge is oniyyfoS. At the con- • closioa of t__e a-at<it*_*_ts<fcs the membe__ : present *e**_p_-—ssecl the*ro6«Jlves as being- ii_- j ! il sjniiij mr~ am r?. ~* l pledged -themselves to do all in their power' tO Obtain fair railway rates for Canterbury..! The result of the combined action of pur - x_»iem\_—-rs- in *tl_is siri'port__.'_-t> i_*_a. _"te_r will ! ■ * cLoixt»-tie*ss !__*■ ■—"-_*.tcbtecl ./w-_-_. . 1_ eea ix_"t_r*e_s__"by iMsliiffiiMM , ..' BATLWAY TO THK WEST COAST. At the same conference mention was —feo made of the East —net" West Coast i raft way* anrt the n * embers re _r_ed to advocate its compleilon. Lt 111 I much to be regretted that the Otarama-. Brunnerton section of this line hay? not_yet been constructed, for there can be little doubt that a railway service between Westland a*sd Canterbury would prove a vast benefit to both districts. The res__ of a through line would be a mutually advantageous exchange of products between Westland and Canterbury, and consequent upon the increase of trade there would necessarily be an extension of our industrios and probably an increase in the value ol property. As the necessity for railway com- \ municatio- between the two coasts is grwater < to-day, than it was at the time the public first i agitated so energetically for its constvacj tion; and as all information in connection • with th c proposed line ia of public interest, 1 I furniah' a few particulars and estimates that wifil convey a fair idea of the wock to be done',and the probable traffic upon the i line when completed. The length of _ the uncompleted portion between Jackson's and ! Otai-ama is 57 miles 44 chains, and it is calculated that to finish this section, for j whichthe : surveys in detail are prepared, would ccet about £1,000,000, and would . give oecuraation to 1200 or 1600 men for I four and a-half years. The following estimate of the traffic on the line was made I by those who were specially qualified - to , forni an opinion upon the subject:—East to j weal- -General merchandise 10,000 tons, I grain 6000 tons, agricultural 8000 _">ns, cattle 900 tons, sheep 980 tons, parcels 200 , tons *. total, 26,080 tons. Passengers—lst I class, -through, 4000; 2nd through, 2500 ;-„_st class, local, 5000 ; second class, local, 3GK3O. West to east—Coal (local con-, sumpkioE') 70,000 tons, coal (shipping com-' pauie-e) 4.5,000 tons, timber 21.000 tons;' slee-pers 1400 tons, building stohe.2ooo tons, paroels (sundries) 200 tons j total, 139,600 tons. Pass engers—lst class, through, 4000 ; 2nd class, through*, 2500; Ist class, local, 5000,; 2nd class, local, 3000. A letter was .sent by this Chamber to the Government pointing out that the attempt to augment* revenue by increasing the telephone rates was a short-sighted policy. The benefits j to be derived by a. nation from cheap] communication among its business people fair exiceedany advantages to be gained by a small it—rease of revenue. Apart from the facti hat-- higher tariff must decrease the numi*>er of subscribers and therefore lessen th« <.. value of the remaining connections, it ii i opposed to all modern ideas of progress ! for the cost of communication either by telegraph, post or telephone to be ma reased. THK* WRONG BRANDING OP MEAT. The at*" ention of the Committee has recently .: been called to the repre-he-silJp practice of certain Otago exporters who brand their frozen mutton •'Prime Canterbury." The excuse offered for this course is that dealers at Home have consta oily sold Otago mutton as " Prime Can* verbury," and therefore Otago shippers arek'-entitled to the use of the brand. It is no douirt true tfiat the high quality of the meat e_i<orted from Canterbury has tempted some dealers in England to sell mutton from oi her ports as * Prime Canterbury ';"' but (fiurefy this deceit is no justifi cation any misrepresentation on the part V of shippers in Otago. Were it ottcesuß\>ected in the Home market that the br_ads _"ied here are unreliable, a great blow woaHi be given to one of our most important a-qports, and, therefore, it ia essential that ewery person interested in the trade should uplHold its integrity. -_I«t a letter addressed to Athe Dimwlta Chamber a strong appeal has oven made to that body W -i* im -IfflWit )W-U**ww« *» -*«*«-»*'•_•

farther use in Otago of the Canterbury brand, and yonr Committee haa every hope that the appeal has not been made in vain. .1 . OUR LOCAL TRADE. As the general trade statistics of the colony will appear in the annual report to be issued three months hence, it will suffice on this occasion to give a comparative return of the sports and imports of Lyttelton for the first quarter of the years 1893, 4, 5, 6 aud?:—

Port of Lyttelton— lraports—Maroh, 1893, £350,557;" March, 1894, £336,815; March, 1895, £273,961 ; March, 18S6, £313,700: March, 1897, £374,839. It will be seen that in the first quarter of this year there ha 9 been a decrease of £35,585 in our exports and an increase of £61,139 in our imports as compared with the corresponding quarter of last year. The falling off in the exports for this particular quarter was owing to the decrease in our shipments of wool amounting to 1,993,1271b, valued at £45,442. This apparent shortage was fortunately not owing to any diminution in our wool supply, but was due to the fact that growers, having in view the possibility of a change in the American tariff, hurried off their shipments by steamer during the months of November and December. The number of bales shipped in the last quarter of 1896 was 19,591, as «vunpared . with 14,531 tales in the corresponding quarter of 1895, an increase oi 5160 bale 3, valued at £51,000, which more than compensates for the deficiency of the first quarter of 1897. The increase of £61,139 in our imports may bo regarded as evideuce of the extension of the legitimate purchasing power of the district." Some proof of this business expansion is afforded by the fact that to-day in the • Christchurch factory district 1300 more people are engaged in local industries than found employment in those industries in May, 1896. - THE SYDNEY, CONFERENCE. A meeting of delegates from the. various Chambers of Commerce throughout the colony" was recently held "in Sydney, the representation of the Christchuuoh and Eknedih Chambers being undertaken by Mr DevenishMeares, whose long association with the work of your Committee rendered him specially qualified to represent the yiews of the commercial-men of this colony.. The subjects with which the Conference dealt were, all of great importance, and roiany of them of such a character that they coidd not be effectively treated by any other body. Onesub'jeet, the problem of federal finance, which involves the State queetion af a Federated Australasia, was wisely shelved. The responsibility of initiating such a vttst change in our colonial policy as wouhi'd follow the union of all* the colonies must bo borne by our representatives in Parliament, and not by delegates of ' any self-constituted Associations. The geographical position of New" Zealand will probably render it impolitic for her to become one of the United States of Australasia; at the same time it will be her duty to cement every bond that will consolidate the Empire of Greater Britain, and it will doubtless be to her advantage to reciprocate with Australia in the free exchange of many colonial products ; above all to form a com- ;■ -bination ; ]fctv»siye purposes of common diefence, and the protection of colonial rights ip the Pacific. Oneof the most pleasant duties of the Sydney Conference was to convey' to : Her Majesty congratulations upon her! Diamond, Jubilee, and to express thje loyal sentiments of her people in these the imßdisknidoloniee of the British Empire. CTfae following, facts will convey gome idea, of the progress of the TXnifced Kingdom during. alU.uUfe.nl] li 111- ---•-••..<".--■■' -■* - ■ - 1837. 1896. ; Population.. m 25,650,000 38,104,97& Groee-weaith .. £4,050.000.000 £12.000.000,000' Weolth per head - - £ISO E3OO-S-«l<4i««S <eSfe<=tive> _ _ ' 1O: ,580 73.8.823. Hie ii ire , t British- navy, vessels 196 439» Butt is not in the United Kingdom alone* that-progress has. been made,. for we find! that in 1837 the British posaessions con-' taineel UO.WOT $ P 6 ?P I<f i wm a C TI merce of. £49,000,000, whilst to-day those de- : pencieshave a population of 306,000,000, with an : annual commerce of £500,000,000. At Hbriie-'arid abroad the Empire has grown in ~ wealth, population undpower ; andweNev may feel proud" of OUI , aSSOCb' ation with the Mother Coxintry, whope rule brings to us no restriction, and y«t • rtssures us - of protection in the hour of needL I am sure that I express the feelings of thw Chamber" when I say that il; holds itself second to none in its sentiments of loyalty to Her Majesty, in whom her subjects ste the pefsonificatioh of that British Constitu-tion-which' is alike the envy and the admiration of all other nations.

_jr GJeo! Humphreys said he would like t» say a word or two on a subject which had been spoken of in'the-very excellent address they had j list listened to from their Chairitiian.;' The subject he alluded to was that of the West Coast "Railway, which he was sorry tonote had of late failed to excite that interest .in. the-colony and the province which its importance required and . demanded. ; It had excited great interest some few 'years ago," l but of late it had disappeared almost, entirely from the public mind., He was one who thought it was a -very good thing that the matter had been brought up before the Chamber, and he trusted the result would he a revival of the interest of the Government in it. The Chairman had given them some very interesting and important figures as to the estimated freight and passenger traffic, but had not given them the result in pounds. TEhougli'had been proved to convince him individually that the. West Coast Railway would be a very paying concern. This it must be noted was without taking into account the jVery great increase of- tburist 'trafficj which was sure to/ follow on the completion of increased facilities for communication between the -East and West Coasts. Mr Beaven, who was in Christchurch recently from the Coast, had told him that there was a very strong feeling on the Coast in the direction of agitation for the completion of the line. He trusted that the words in the address of the Chairman would result in the people and the Government taking an interest in the work. He fully believed that the line if constructed would pay 2$ per cent, to 3 per cent;, which was about the rate of the best of the New Zealand railways. The railway would, he believed, pay, but in addition to this the colony as a whole, as well as Canterbury in particular, would derive great and substantial benefits from its construction. The West Coast was teeming with minerals and forests, and increased facilities in transit would enable these products to be' brought to the markets. The construction of the line would also, as he had pointed oat, bring about an enormous increase of the tourist- traffic and would be. the only thing which could result in making Christchurch an important railway centre. This being w the construction of the line was a matter which Bhould most strongly commend itself to the Chamber oi Commerce, and he hoped the Committee! would take steps to urge it, not only on the people of. Canterbury, but before Government and the Parliament of the colony. Itwould be remembered that before the abolition of the provinces the idea of constructing the railway with Canterbury money was pushed ou very actively, and if the Provinces had remained there was no doubt it would have been done. ' The land revenue of Canterbury had been absorbed by the colony, -and therefore she had been deprived of the means of pushing on the work! . In, common justice,. tb*. colony 'she—d give %_«— mm epporttuity to join

with the people on the West Coast to <S6 the work. He had no formal resolution in propose on the subject, but he hoped the Committee would take the matter mentioned by the Chairman into their most serious consideration. i Mr G. T. Booth said that he desired to congratulate the Chairman on the earnest and able address delivered by him. (Applause.) With regard to the West Coast Railway, all the members of the Chamber, he felt sure, would like to see it carried i out. • The Eaat and West Coast Railway [had of late years been removed from the sphere of business into that of pure, or might ho say impure, politics. But there was one thing which they could geC the I Canterbury members to do for them. ; There was a rood deal of work now being done on the Jackson's—Otarama section, but there was a good deal also being done I from Belgrove south to Reefton which was not required now. There was no use for this line being made at present, because he did not think there would bo any traffic to speak of on it durjng their lives or those of their immediate descendants. What was wanted Mas that the men who were I working on this line should be transferred to the Otarama section, and the gap closed up speedily at this end, which would be a good thine to be done. As regarded federation, to which reference in the address had been made, he did not agree with the Chairman's views on the subject. If, however, they got commercial reciprocity and federal defence it seemed to him they had gone a good way towards complete federation. He felt very strongly that if Australia fede--1 rated and Now Zealand was left' out, it would be an unfortunate matter for this colony. He thought their trade with Australia—their best customer—would be far more offsetting than any probable loss which might accrue from federation. He, therefore, thought that the absence of New Zealand from Australian federation would-be- a mistake. (Applause.) Mr E. G. Staykley said he was rejoiced to learn from the Chairman's address that there were 1300. more people employed in factories this year than fast. He should, however, like to know whether this was merely the increase of businesses registered as factories or whether this was a genuine increase of manufactories employing labour. The Chairman said that,'recognising the importance of the matter, he had taken a good deal of trouble to ascertain from the very best authority the truth of the data cited by him, and he would be quite willing to show Mr Stavoley the details upon which the figures were founded if he would call on him. From the enquiries he (the Chairmen) had made he was certain that this was a genuine increase in the number of people employed, not merely of factories registered.' He thought they were far too ready as a . people here to cry out op to hard times, and whilst not being too optimistic, he thought this was a thing they should not indulge in. Mr Gilbert Anderson said he was glad to find that the Chamber had passed oa question of false branding of meat to the Otago Chamber. There was no doubt that the meat grown in Canterbury differed greatly from the meat sent from other part*, * Without saying anything of the ethics fit borrowing their brands, he thought it waa very hard, after the two Companies, had.-;, done their best to establish the reputation of their brands that they should be approS dated. As to the statement about the\ itagosheep comingup here he might say thatv the classers knew at oncei they were not Canterbury grown. They\ih the workaV adopted for these the brand mark of. V New Zealand," and he thought ae. the two Canterbury Companies were doing the best they? could to keep up the reputation of. this Canterbury meat, ie was hard to findtheit immediate neighbours endeavouring to take the credit of their work. :He was glad-the .- .Chamber had taken up the master, and h> felt sure the Otago people would see the indefensibleness of their position; • •'>,.„ On the motion of Mr Stavelky, a thanks was accorded to Mr Roper' tor hie. address.. , -....•

Total.. Wool Frozen meat , .. Butter and cheeie.. Miscellaneoiw Article. Exports. years 1893, '94, '95, '95, '97. Ileturnof Import and Export values for quarter ended M»rch 31et for I PORT OF LYTTELTON. I £780,438 436,889 112,950 87,956 70,962 £ 1893. £728,181 517,963 110,589 22,127 15,127 62,576 £ 1894. £722,033 438,485 165,000 22,566 18,602 77,435 £ . 1895. £735,679 457,263 184,897 17,254 15,259 92,006 £ 1896. £701,094 111,821 16\482 12,898 16,919 95,974 £ 1897.