BUSINESS MEN MEET.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20028, 9 September 1930, Page 12

BUSINESS MEN MEET.

I CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DINNER. i INTERESTS OP TOWN AND COUNTRY. There was a large attendance at the annual dinner given by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerco in the Winter Garden last night, the actingpresident (Mr A. O. Wilkinson) prosiding after the seat had been vacated by tho retiring president (Mr Norton Francis). In proposing the toast of "The Pro-, vince of Canterbury," the Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) said that there was a uniformity of interest between the town and country. It used to be suggested that these interests were different, but such an impression was altogether erroneous. Town and country worked harmoniously in regard to the recent obstetrical and cancer appeals, and the objects of the Plunket Society. The Lot of the Parmer. Responding, Mr L. K. C. Macfarlane, president of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, said that the Chamber had done its best to assist tho farmers in the hard times through which they were passing. He did not think, he went on, that people were as proud of the province as they might be. They saw too many faults both in the town and the country. For instance, overseas farmers were able to point to the excessive number of weeds on Canterbury farms. There were men and women who could do a lot for the province if they chose to do so and in this connexion he would like to see a spirit of provincial patriotism developed. He was afraid that too many farmers instead of sticking to their farms were inclined to offer criticism of others in business. Matters would be improved if farmers paid more attention to their xjroperties and if the city man devoted more of his time to the purpose of selling the produce of the country. Farmers to-day were hit hard in respect of what they had to purchase, whereas the man in tho city was protected by tariffs, fixed prices, and in other ways. The farmer was carrying on because there was no one else to carry on for him. He was in fact, living on his capital, but it would not last for ever, and when it gave out the man in the city would i'cel the pinch. Farmers thought that relief workers were being paid too much in comparison with what they themselves received. He thought that if the town and country got together means would be discovered of dealing with tho position. It should not be forgotten, however, that the farmer had done a lot to improve tho Dominion since the war. He had increased the produco obtained from tho land by 50 per cent., but he was not getting back as much as he should. If he continued to make a loss he might go under, in which case the whole of the Dominion would suffer. Land had gone down recently by 30 per cent. This was bad not only for tho man on the land but also for others. Unless the position improved rapidly he was afraid that New Zealand would have to face a serious loss. At the same time he believed that there was a good future for the land and that if conditions became right again the Dominion would be able to produce another 50 per cent, more than she was doing to-day. Parliament. In proposing the toast of "The Parliament of New Zealand," the actingpresident congratulated the Government in having a Canterbury man and "a farmer at its head. Parliament and the Chamber, he said, had much the same kind of work to do in that they were both striving to improve tho conditions of tho people. The Chamber was anxious to develop tho industries of the Dominion and to protect tho man employed in those industries, and lie had no doubt that Parliament would give all the help it could in this direction. The Chamber recognised that many of the Members of Parliament had given up a great deal of their time, and some oven their lives, in the interests of the people. The Chamber realised that the Parliament was second to none in the world, not even excluding the Mother of Parliaments. Mr Atmor© Responds. Eesponding, the Minister for Education (the Hon. H. Atmore) said that it was refreshing to learn that the Chamber had such appreciation for tho

work done by Parliament. He had_beon a member for 14 years, and could trutnfully state that ho had never *» ow * ° z a corrupt action on the part of the uoy ornment It would be surprising, in fact, if there was anything corrupt about Parliament, seeing that New Zealand was more British in its population than Britain itself. Mr Atmore passed on to the subject of the Great war, and said that it was that "wave or lunacy" which swept the world in WJ.4 that was a root cause of the position in which every country found ltscslf today. The war had cost £50,000,000,000 and 10.000,000 lives. It had cost toouu to kill every fit man who fought. From 1918 the world had been passing t h ™ugix similar conditions to those which obtained after the Napoleonic "Wars. The only hope for the world was to aim at obliterating the distrust which nations had of each other. In 1927 the cost of the British Armv, Navy, and Air lorces was £114.000,000, equivalent to £-00 per minute. This was n stupendous figure. To New Zealand's War debt of £70,000,000 had to be added the cost of pensions, which would run cii for 50 years. Surely it was a wave of lunacy which had swept the world. War to-day was too expensive for nations to indulge in it. A voice: How would you stop it? The Minister: The League of Nations, of course. Land Settlement Scheme. Mr Atniore then went on to speak of economic conditions in the Dominion. There was no doubt, he said, that machinery bad thrown a great many men out of work. Such a state of affairs was to be found in every manufacturing country in the world It wan not so pronounced in the Dominion for the reason that we were not so far advanced iu manufacturing as Britain or the United States. Where there was a falling back in an industry on which other industries depended, there was always trouble. Sir John McKenzic had recognised the position when he brought forward his land settlement scheme. He made farming prosperous by making it attractive. Before the scheme the population was ahead of the farming industry, but he soon changed matters round" the correct way, and gave New Zealand 21 years of unparalleled prosperity. Conditions in Australia were different from those in New Zealand. That countrv was surrounded by other countries (except New Zealand) whoso waces were low and whose standard or living were equally so. with the result that they could not purchase her manufactured articles. No secondary goods were sent awav from the Dominion, our 6ole market being in the country itself. If the cost of secondary industries were at the expense of primary industries the Dominion would be forced into the same position as Australia. This was a reason why attention should be paid to the farming industry. Mr W. Machin proposed the toast of "The Chambers of Commerce," and in doing so said that the Canterbury Chamber had been fortunate in the calibro of its presidents during the seventy years of its existence. _ _ He referred to the forthcoming visit of the British Empire Chambers of Commerce, which is to take place in 1933, and stated that a great deal of benefit would result from it. The toast was resnonded to by Mr C. P. Agar, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand.