COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 404, 13 January 1909, Page 4

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS.

■'DOMINION' "FEDERATION REJECTED. - : f IBi Tii.EOiurn.f-sPtcui. cpftnr.spo.vbiNT.l. '! '■ :: ' '"'■ ; '"''■■'■' - : ' ■■"'■ Dunedln, January 11. '. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Commercial Travellers'—and- Warehousemen's' Association a proposal to establish a NewZealand Federation was considered. Mr. P. W. Mitchell moved:—"Greatly as members of this association desire .the union of the three New Zealand Association's they fail to recognise in'.the present proposal any. pros-, pect? of effectually accomplishing that end, and, having regard to the existing harmonious and advantageous relationship with the united association of Australasia,, they feel that they cannot fall' in. with the' proposal as. contained in the resolution carried at the Wellington Conference." : 'It 1 is strongly felt, said Mr, Mitchell, that the, b.'st way to promote the general welfare of: the New Association,--and bring about "-the unification of 'their, interests, would' be for Wellington and. .Auckland to accept the United Association's invitation to join their ranks—an invitation which was extendpd to them at the Brisbane Conference—and thus. complete the chain of organisations throughout Australasia. "From what he had; seen and heard from members who had been In Australia it would be nothing short of disaster to sevej- their connection with the' United Federation, for the nature of the NewZealand Federation would not briDg them' anything like the advantages ■ which they now possessed. It would cost them more money, and altogether there'.was little in it to "commend itself to members. ' To sever their connection with the TJnited Association in order to oomplete the New Zealand Fedoration would mean:—(l) The loss of all benefits of membership of a large and united bodywhose headquarters were in Melbourne; (2) considerable addition'to expenses with no corresponding, benefit; (3). loss of the association's title; and (4) parting with some of the control of their affairs through headquarters being in Wellington. In seconding the motion, Mr. H. F. Moss said that. the association could derive no advantage by severing its; connection with the federated body, :In regard'to the conference in Wellington, the wrong method was adopted, If the northern people were sincere, why. did they not get the votes of all commercial men and have them recorded? If .they had done so a large majority would have voted in favour of federation with Australia. If they could not bring their northern brethren into the same position as themselves then let them stand to their own. It was""only a "matter "of "time "before'"'they' would have federation with the whole of Australia,, and even with the whole world. The motion was carried unanimously, and three cheers given for. tho CommercialrFravellers' Association of Australasia, followed by the singing of "They are jolly good fellows."