TRADERS CONFER

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18551, 28 November 1925, Page 18

TRADERS CONFER

CONTROL OF MARKETING. COMPULSION VIEWED WITH MISGIVINGS (rRESS -ASSOCIATION TBLEGRAJC.) ' ' DUXEDIX, Xovember 27. The- Chamber of Commerce Conference was concluded to-day. A resolution was carried "That the conference views with misgiving the proposal to institute' compulsory control and marketing of dairy produce from August Ist, 19'2.\ under powers given by the Government to the Dairy Control Board. It is hoped that the powers given to the Dairy and Meat Control Boards for compulsory marketing will be repealed." Mr A. Hunt moved: "That, following the close of the British Empire Exhibition, concerted special measures be taken to impress on British capitalists the Dominion's potentialties for the investment of capital, with a view to inducing their active participation in the working of- the undeveloped resources within the Dominion, and the institution and expansion of industry." The motion was carried.

Mr W. Brown (Wanganui) moved: "That the conference recommends all Chambers of Commerce to use their influence, with the commercial community for the importation into New Zealand of British goods, rather than goods from outside the Empire."—Carried. Mr J. B. Waters (Dunedin) moved: "That the conference urge upon companies and others, having money to lend to consider favourably first mortgage investments on farm lands, and help farmers in the great difficulty experienced in arranging finance." —Carried.

The conference passed remits appreciative of the new spirit of public service displayed by the Eailway Department, particularly the commercial section. It also urged the Department to experiment with a night train service between Christchurch and Dunedin during the Exhibition.

The conference rejected a remit asking that differing rates between imported goods and New Zealand produce transported over the railways be abolished, any penalty being imposed by import duty.

Public Body Matters. Mr A. H. Mackrell (Invereargill) moved: "That conference expresses alarm at the large and ever-increasing indebtedness of local bodies, throughout the Dominion, and that the Government bo urged to enquire into the matter with a -view to checking unnecessary borrowing.''—Carried. Mr "W. Machin (Christchurch) moved '■ "That in the opinion of this conference the time has arrived to define legitimate, local body trading, with a view to its proper limitation by legislation, and in order to prevent public bodies competing unfairly with their own ratepayers, as follows: It is recognised that all general utility supplies to the public, such as electricity, water, tramways, drainage, etc, whit-h it is unwise to leave in the hands of private enterprise, and the profits from which rightly belong to-the ratepayers and consumers, or persons supplied, should be controlled by public bodies, but beyond these it is deemed inadvisable for-public bodies to embark on enterprises which compete with legitimate private trading.' '-^Carried.

Land Valuation. / Mr P. B. Foote (Canterbury) moved: "That the Valuer-General be asked !o arrange for a revaluation of the whole of the rural land of New Zealand, w.th the object of bringing land down to present-day Values.'' —Lost. Mr H. Valder (Hamilton) moved: "That in the opinion of this conference the svstem and methods of valuation in New Zea-1 land are urgently .in Aeed of review, and the Valuation of Land Act, 1908, and its amendments should be amended so as to provide, inter alia, for: (a) a clearer definition of unimproved value, j (b) power for the Assessment' Court i to order a general revaluation or variation in values in districts where it,! deems such desirable, (c) a limitation j of power of trustees to advance on mortgage two : thirds of the Government j valuation."—Lost.

Mr W. W. Hudson (Auckland) moved: "That this conference again protests against the retention of the formula now in use for the determination of a basic wage as being admittedly applicable to the circumstances of only one-tenth of the wage-earners in the Dominion, and, in the best interests of the State, urges the Government to consider the possibility of adopting some method more in accord with actual conditions.'' —Carried. Mr J. Gilkison (Invercargill) moved: "That the executive take the necessary steps to have representatives of importers and of exporters of non-refrigerated cargo associated with the Meat and Dairy Produce Boards when arranging the annual contracts for the carriage of overseas goods to the "United Kingdom. ' ' —Carried. Election of Officers. The election of officers resulted:— President, Mr A. 11. Mackrell (Invercargill) ; vice-president, Mr "W. Machin (Canterbury); committee, Messrs A. McKenzie and J. B. Simpson (Wellington), J; B. Richards (Stratford), P. Barr (Dunedin), and A. A. Martin (Auckland). The next conference will be held in Wellington on a date to be fixed by the executive. The visiting delegates will be motored to Waipori Falls to-morrow.