DUNEDIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11955, 6 August 1904, Page 3

DUNEDIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

THK UOVFRNMKXT CKITK ISKI>. SOMK OTAGO GRIKVANOrs. (SPtCIAL TO "THE I'BFSS.") DrXEDIN. August 5,. The H«n. T. Ftrgu.*. retiring president of tlie Chamber of Commerce, dolivtred a lengthy address at to-day's annual meeting of the Chamber. Dealing with the claim which the Government make to have the right to take any portion of the fore.vhore endowment of Harbour Boards or Trustp, by simply recouping the local authority any moneys which they may have spent in reclaiming or improving the game, he said, to his mind, that was a direct interference with the security of the debsntuie holders. In the interest of the State, as well as of the Harbour Boards, it ehould not be allowed. The reservation of the foreshore and its prorpectivt revenue earning power, when reclaimed, formed the security for the debentures, and slrtmld not be interfered with on any consideration. Referring to what he described as the great injustice in the proposal to remove the School of Mines from Dunedin, he said lie could not find one shred of reason to justify such action. If they had some of the statesmen of the past among them again the eehcol would not be so easily wiped out. By all means let Auckland have her School of Mines and amalgamate the local school? of Thames, Waihi, Coromandel, and Karangahako-, and if the grunts jiiven to them are not sufficient then letthere be a further yrant from Parliament to make it independent. The House lavishly gave money to less deserving objects, but let them "retain that which they had made successful, .and he was about to say famous. Th?re was no good reason or justification for its removal from their midrt. In regard to education, Mr Fergus said there was scarcely a class in the community which was more niggardly rewarded for its work nor one which had fewer advantages than that of instructing in our public schools. The remuneration did not ■permit of making provision for old age, and iifl yet teachers hnd 'bc-en denied the benefits of a superannuation wheme. Had they in Otngo retained control of their schools the teachers within our bounds would not he in the position they were now. Duo provision for education had alwavs received the careful attention of the people in the foutliern portion of New Zealand, and lib?ral grants were made in it-) aid. Large areas of land had been set apart by the pioneer statesmen of Otago as endowments for every grade of learning, from the primary school to the university. H-id the control of education remained in their hands the grievances of the teachers would have been redressed and arrangements made for re-tiring allowances, when they were incapacitated by age or infirmity for their work. He trusted that this matter would be taken up in earnest by Parliament, and this wrong redressed. A motion was carried protesting ngainst the removal of the School of Mines, several speakers expressing the opinion there was no reason why Auckland and Otapo could not both have a School of Mines. The Government was also criticised for using preferential trade a? a means of further increasing the revenue.