CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17989, 5 February 1924, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The Council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce met last evening, when there were present—Messrs E. H. Wyles (president), S. A. Orchard. N. M. Orbell, J. B. Mitchell, F. W. Hobbs, W. Machin, J. G. Herdman, Stronach Paterson, H. J. Harriner, W. Bottrill, A. L. Macfarlane, P. Davidson, W. F. Soper, P. H. Harris, C. B. Trimnell, F. M. Warren, and Huntly Elliott.

The. president read a letter he had forwarded to the Pcstmaster-General urging that an improvement be made in the parcel post servile between the Dominion and England. Ho asked that the service he put on an equality ■ with that between Great Britain and " Australia . and between the "United States and New Zealand. The president's action was approved. A~ letter from the Canterbury Industrial Association regarding the establishment of a shipping' service between'Singapoi-3 and New Zealand by the Batavia Royal Pocket Navigation Oo„.was received, the chairman explaining that a. tariff question was involved, and the matter was now before the Government. \ **■■■— A report on immigration was' submitted by Mr Orbell on behalf of a special committee, and was held over tor circulation among the members, the committee to obtain additional information in the meantime.

The secretary of the • Australasian Merchants' Association, London, wrote as&ing if any effective mean 3 had been adopted at Xtyttelton to remedy the unsatisfactory method of delivering bar iron. The letter stated that complaint had been received that on the arrival of a steamer at a particular port the whole of the bars consigned thereto were dumped on the quay en masse, involving a " scramble ■ amongst the various consignees to secure priority in obtaining delivery, .which probably resulted in one consignee gaining an advantage over another in the matter of quality. In this connexion Mr Huntly Elliott reported 'that it was not possible to eort bar iron into separate lots at the steamer's side at Lyttelton, as the slings of iron were delivered direct from the steamer into trucks awaiting alongside, such trucks being then hauled to the railway yards at "Waltham. The trucks were then -unloaded by the Railway Department, and the iron was sorted into separate parcels according to marks, under the supervision of a tally clerk employed by the shipping companies for the purpose. Consignees were notified when the sorting had been completed, and the iron was then delivered to tho various consignees in accordance' with the marks appearing on tile bills of lading. This system had been found to work [satisfactorily and few complaints, if any, had teen received regarding incorrect delivery, either in regard to the quantity or quality, and it appeared that insofar as Christchurch was concerned the complaints referred to couldv not bo sustained. Tho letter was received.