CONGRESS OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14524, 28 November 1912, Page 4

CONGRESS OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.

REPORT OF CANTERBURY'S REPRESENTATIVE.

MR A. KAYE'S CONCLUSIONS.

At tho quarterly meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Mr A. Kayo, who represented the Chamber at the Fifth International Congress cf Chambers of Commerce, held at Boston, U.S.A., reported to tho members. — "I had the honour of being present as representative for tho Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, and also the Wellington Chamber ot Commerce, at tho Fifth International Congress of Chambers of Commerce held in Boston, Massachusetts, U.5.A., , from 24th to 28th September. 1 was pleased to meet Mr Gilbert Anderson, the London representative of the Canterbury Chambor of Commerce, who had crossed the Atlantic to be present in his representative capacity. "According to the official list, thero wero 792 delegates nominated, Austria 'sending -14, Ruugarv 22. Belgium IJ, Brazil 8. Chili 7, China 11, France 22, Germany 85, Great Britain and British Possessions 125, Italy 62, Japan 5, Norway 11, Portugal 7, Russia 10. Spain 4. .Sweden 8, Turkey 12, United States of America 291, whilst nearly all the countries of the world had-ono or more* representatives. Australia was represented by 3, New Zealand by 8, and President Taft, at the levee, said 'New Zealand had dono well.' The Congress was more cosmopolitan than any commercial gathering of the nations previously held, and must have lasting and wido world-reaching effect. It was an organisation representing tho business men of the entire world, comprising official delegates from tho Governments of tho leading commercial nations and delegates appointed by the I leading business organisations affiliated with the Congress, and its purpose was to facilitate the commercial intercourse of nations and to promote cordial relationship between them. Its recommendations aro carried out by a permanent committee, with headquarters at Brussels, and which keeps in touch with tho constituent organisations and tli« Governments of all countries. The questions to be discussed aro selected by tho permanent committee- from among those suggested by the constituent organisations, and aro announced in advance to Congress. '"The first International Congress was held at Liege, Belgium, in 1905. This meeting resulted in the appointment of a permanent committee, and tho decision to hold Congresses every two years. Tho second was held in Milan, Italy, 1006; the third at Prague, Austria, 1908, and tho fourth in London. 1910.

"The permanent committee takes thc necessary steps to make the resolutions of the Congress effective. This is done either by interesting some Government to call a diplomatic conference of n .tions or by entering into negotiations directly with thc different Governments. Tho method is illustrated by the recent success attained in bo interesting Holland on uniformity of legislation on bills of exchange; Belgium on uniformity in Customs statistics; Switzerland on a fixed international calendar and a permanent day for Easter; and Italy on tho organisation and institution of programme for an international mari- ■ time union.

"1. Conference considered (a) the establishment of a fixed day for Easter, and tho reform of the calendar; (b) regulation of international expositions. 2. Tho establishment of an International Court of Arbitral Justice for suits between individuals and foreign States. 3. Tho i.nification of legislation relating to cheques. 4. International postal reforms irf viow of tho next .conference ,'df tho Universal PostalUnion in 1913. ' tics and the immediate institution of an international office. 6. The desirability of an international conference upon tho validation of through-order notify bills of lading and of legislation and other means for making tho system more effective. 7. The desirability of international uniformity of action in tho ..tatter of Consular invoices. 8. Tho desirability of an international conference on prices, and the cost of living. "Very' early in the proceedings it was evident that general discussions, followed by amendments, such as usually take place in Congresses of Chambers of Commerce, were not looked for or even desired. This came out in a marked degree when /the unification of legislation relating to cheques was under discussion. When the second point was submitted it proved not to ha acceptable to the Congress, but the president, instead of accepting the decision, withdrew the motion' submitted. Protests were raised but without avail. At aii earlier .stage, • M. Fernard I. Shoninger (President of the American Chamber of Commerce of Paris) . had energetically raised the point whether amendments were allowable, b"+ it was evident from the reply of the President that, though a properly worded amendment would be admissible, it was said in such a manner that the impression was conveyed to many that nq amendments wore looked for or desired. "The details of the proceedings, tho papers, the speakers, even to those at the great banquet, had all been approved by the Permanent Committee sitting in Belgium, and all that was desired was confirmation of tho resolutions prepared by the Congress. Tho papers presented on each remit by the speakers appointed wero very able and exhaustive, and tho products of experts in tho various subjects tackled; at tho samo time, somo of us felt that we should havo liked to have added our quota to the discussions, but not having previously communicated to the officials in charge, and had our names sot down for speaking, realised that our attempt so to do might not bo too favourably received. Hence we said but little", and with tho exception before mentioned, practically every resolution was passed unanimously. • "Another matter which added to the difficulty was that the proceedings were conducted by the President in the French language, though «ach speaker spoke in his own (1G languages being recognised), jet it made tho routine somewhat difficult to follow, especially in voting. As delegates and as individuals, wo felt we had como many thousands of miles at great expense, and sacrifico of time, and yet, the assistance to the Congress wo had the opportunity of giving was practically nil, hut on the other hand we had the satisfaction of knowing we wero units of a whole that would voice to the entire world the unanimous resolvings of a body of commercial men gathered from tho four corners; of the earth and the effect it is to be hoped would go far to the knitting of these commercial bonds that would bring tho day nearer when 'wars shall be no more.' The president, Monsieur Louis CanonLegrand, towards tho end of the conference moved:— " 'The Congress affirms its desire to see established as soon ay, possible international official conferences which will ensure between nations the existence of arbitral courts established in the broadest sense* and of a nature to en-, sure an equitable solut_oj_ of all international disputes, whether between citizens of different States or between States. And . tie Congress declares adherence to the principle of a combination of nations, where and when it may be possible, to try to prevent the atrocities of war.' "The motion was carried unanimously, amidst much enthusiasm. "On the social side, words fail mc to describe the complete and the splendid utter disregard of cost, in all the details of expense that went to make the

Congress such a huge success. The original estimate of outlay from the beginning to the end was 250,000 dollars, or, say, £50,000 of our money, but I very much doubt if oven this largo sum proved sufficient. Tho official banquet, nt which President Taft spoke, was said to cost somo 15,000 dollars.

"Each delegate had given to him, besides other gifts, fivo.dollars worth ot taxi-cab coupons; this altogether apart from automobile rides to scenes of special interest. Tho number of motor cars and taxis used on these occasions, covered two miles from tho first to the last car. The final large expenditure was tho special trains that conveyed those overseas delegates able to go, tj the principal cities of the States. The trip lasted twenty days, the traius were. fr?e. including sleeping cars, but each visitor had to pay for his meals when not otherwise entertained. I had originally intended to make tho trip, but could not quite fit it in.

"Tho meetings of the Congress were held in tho magnificent hall of tho ! Copley-Plaza Hotel—the 'last word' i in i hotel building. This hotel was conceived in connection with our Congress, ; and its completion hurried on so that . it might be ready. It would likely be ; much used for conventions, which aro ever on the increase in the States, e.g., the brewers held ono at tho Copley Plaza the week before ours, and wero barely out before thc officials of tho Chamber of Commerce swarmed in. Ours was hardly over, when the Freemasons Crowded around for the following week of meetings, and so wo wero told it would continue for many weeks. "Ono of the most enjoyable evenings was on the 24th September, when a soecial concert was tendered to tho delegates by sixty members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Mr Gustav Strube, in tho Symphony Hall. We heard some old ffiends performed, in tho best manner possible, worthy of the splendid reputation of that world-famed orchestra. "Though the Bostomans boro the brunt of everything connected with the Congress, the other Chambers of the U S A. showed every desire and eagerness to entertain tho delegates. "The city for holding tho ..Congress of 1914 was left to tho Permanent Committee to decide upon, but somo mention was made of Madrid as a suitable the report were copies of tho verbatim report of the proceedings of the Congress. Mr Kayo also presented to the Chamber » photographic group of tho delegates to tho Congress, and also exhibited a largo amount of literature issued in connection with the Congress. Supplementing his report Mr Kaye .remarked upon the thorough manner in which tho Bostonians had managed the arrangements in connection with the Congress, and said that thero was an absence altogether of any idea of cost so long as i things were done well. He questioned whether the £50,000 originally provided | to cover the cost of tho Congress would be sufficient to meet tho expenditure. He found amongst tho delegates ho camo in contact with much anxiety to learn about New Zealand; they seemed much more interested in New Zealand than in Australia, due to having heard' a great deal of the Dominionjs Labour laws and advanced legislation. At, Toronto, where he had an opportunity of addressing tho directors of tho Exhibition, he met a cousin of Dr. Hocken, of Dunedin, and also a cousin of Mr Duncan Rutherford, of Amuri. On the motion of Mr H. J. Marriner, seconded by Mr John O'Halloran', it was unanimously resolved: —"That this meeting places on record its high appreciation of the valuable services rendered by Mr Albert Kaye to tho Canterbury Chamber of Commerce during tho many years he has been actively connected with the organisation; it also desires especially to thank him for tho very able manner in which he (in conjunction with Mr A. S. Paterson, of Dunedin) represented the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Canterbury and Wellington at- the Congress recently held'" in TSbstori, U.S.A.; and it further desires to thank him for the splendid photograph of the delegates, and in acceptingvthe gift desires to assure Mr Kaye that the picture will remain with the Chamber" as one of. its most valuable possessions." Tho motion was carried by acclamation, arid Mr Kaye briefly acknowledged it.