The Press. TUESDAY, JULY 10, l900. THE COUNCIL AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BILL.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10704, 10 July 1900, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1900. THE COUNCIL AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BILL.

Once more it devolves upon the Legislative Council to save the people from an attack upon their liberties made by a so-called Liberal Government. It; is true that the present Ministry ias called: so many of its friends to the Upper House that it can practically do wha'b it likes there if they all vote "solid" Some of the Ministerial party in the Lower House, however, have refused to sanction the monstrous invasion of private rights contained in tSie Chamber of Commerce Bill, and we hope that similar independence and (public spirit will be shown foy some of the 'more thinking members of the (Ministerial party in the Legislative Council. As the pubKc realise the full significance of the Bill they are getting more rtharu ever alive to tfae fact that a more wantons invasion of private rights has never been attempted! in this Legislature. It is not only a poor reward for the selfsacrifice shown 'by members of the Chambers of Comiaeroe who for years liave been working in the public interest without any thought or hops of personal advantage, but there -is an uneasy feeling in the minids of the people that no one knows what body or assrx'iafcion of men the Government ma} , next ta£e it into their li«ads to "commandeer." They snay assume that the Agricultural and Pastoral Association or tie Jockey Club, or even a-ny private club, has shown "Conservative" leanings, and Txee&s to <be taken- in 'hand .by the State. Iα that case, we presume, they "will bring in another Bill on the samfe lines as the Chamber of Commerce Bill, the effect of which will be to take the mauagement of the cibnoxious institution out of the hands of its members, and may jwissibly reduce it to Jaaniruptcy. It is surely one of the elementary Tights of an institution like a Chamber of Commerce that it shall lay <iawß some standard of qualification for membership, and that ifc shall fix whatever rate of sut)Bcrip€ion. It deems necessary to enable it, do caiTy on its op«ations. The Bill introduced by Mr. Ward absolutely takes away both of these powers. The qualification of a member is fixed by the Statute, aisdi if any person possessing this qualification ipreseats himself for admission and his application ia "in aay \ray isfnsed or unreasonably delayed" every member of the committee •who is in any way concerned in such delay or refusal sliaU be liable to a penalty not- exceeding tea pouncte for ] every d&y on which the refusal occurs or ia continued! Some of our readers, who have not seen the Bill, may fijwl it hard toj

bcliev* rhat-it. vorifcaan* ««<?_ a drastic pro* vision, assure them that we are quoting literally from it* text. ~ As to qualification, it is indeed provided that a catididiattt mU9t<be "'of good repute;" ibxit, evidently what Mr. Ward regard, as the supreme q«aHfic_tic_ for anyone who | aspires to «pe_k with, authority pn com- i mercial matters ia the possession of not less than twenty mining abates. As our Wellington l correspondent recently pointed out, it would appear that none of the lawyers or doctors j who are at present memibers of our Chamber could continue to be so under the Act. [ | They are not "eugaiged in any commercial, ; mercantile, or industrial avocation in the , city or in which the registered office is situate." Mr C. Lewis, M.H.R., i Mr. 'Hardy, M.H.R., Mr. Laurenson, ! M.H.R., and Sir John Hall, to name a j | few representative mem who take am in- j terest in commercial questions, would it • is thought. aH bo ineligible under this clause. There is reason to believe, however, that they could qualify ,by the simple process of buying twenty mining shares, no matter iv what company or at what price. We Wave beard it said that mining shares are cheap ju?t new—that there is a "slump" on —and that the purchase of such a small nuj_ber as twenty ought not to be a very great 'hardship. It may be that the Govenansnt wish to stimulate the demand for this class of investment, but, if so, we fear they will fail in their object. If the Bill becomes law there is far more likely to be a stampede of disgusted members ansious. to get out of the ''commandeered" Ghamfbers, than any rush of new candidates for admission. Mr. Ward has not been lavish of explanation* of any kind in regard to *he Bill, and he has certainly not yet told us how the possession of twenty mining shares is held to fit any person to speak with weight and authority on commercial (affairs, (while a man like Sir John Hall, minus the mining shares, is excluded by the Bill. Could anything be more harassing and unwarranted again than the clause fcriirg the subscription at the arbitrary sum of one guinea? A Chamber may have an expensive building, in respect of whioh it iraa incurred! certain obligations, and to meet these ia __bscription: of two guineas may be absolutely essential. It is obvious that ins sucQi a. case a, Chamber having its ! subscription suddenly reduced to one guinea-, and the basis of its membership turned topsy-turvy, may be rendered un- ; able to meet its obligations and reduced to i absolute rains. Yet the Government, do ! not propose to take over its obligations or in any way to .guarantee its finance. If

we were to look at this matter from a purely party point of view we should- like 'nottong better than to see the Bill passed exactly as it stand's. If it were, we feel sure that the whole commercial convmunity would , revolt against; a Miniistry that could perpetrate sudh a senseless piece of tyranny. We do not loofe at it, however, from a .party, point of view. We want to this Parliament devote itself to legislation that is for the good of the .people, and we do not want,to see vaJiKifci& inEtitUtions like the Cham!bers of Commerce, that have done such good work-in the past, murdered to

make -a. "iibei-alV* holidfeiy. We therefore hope that the' Upper House will throw out the Bill.