CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. A NEW ZEALAND TOUR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 57, 4 September 1909, Page 6

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. A NEW ZEALAND TOUR.

The representatives of the Chambers if Commerce of the Empire, who will visit New Zealand after completion of the conference in Sydney are likely to have a most interesting tour through the Dominion. To-day a deputation from tlie Wellington Chamber of Commerce, consisting of Messrs. 'W. G. Duthie (president), J. M'Lellan, H. C. Tewsley, and S. Carroll (secretary), waited upon the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Industries and Commerce, with, reference to the hospitality to be afforded the visiting business men. The Minister promised that if his duties would permit he would be in Auckland when, the commercial tourists arrived, so as to give them, a hearty welcome to New Zealand. They will be provided with free passes over the railways-, and will visit Rotorua, ■where free baths will be at their disposal. They will come on to Wellington via the Main Trunk line. There will be attached to the part j^ in Auckland a member of the Wellington Chamber, and here a member of the Ohristchurch Chamber will meet them, handing over the party in Christchurch to a, representative of the Dunedin Chamtoer. Visits will be paid to Lake Wakatipu and other scenic districts of the South Island, and a Government official will personally conduct the party from Auckland to the Bluff, whence they will take their departure for Melbourne. la Wellington the party will visit the Gear Meat Company's works, and the inspection of the New Zealand Woollen Mills will be reserved for the South Island tour. It has been left to individual chambers, ■whose localities will be visited, to make their own arrangements, for entertaining the visitors.

".The irony of fate" was illustrated when the doors were unlocked after last night's Bailey sceance. Waiting outside was the gentleman who had at considerable trouble obtained from his home at Palmerston North the mango seed which was the subject of the evening's demonstration. His absence had been remarked, and it was surmised that he had been called away. As it turned out, he had arrived just after the doors were locked, and thereby missed the experiment he had keenly desired to witness. The Hon. G. Fowlds has sent the following telegram to the Christchurch Press : — "My attention has been drawn to a paragraph in your leading article of Tuesday, 31st August, on the subject of' the Imperial Defence Conference. "Referring to me you say, 'He is, at any rate, the last man who should have attempted to impugn Mr. Massey's patriotism. Mr. Fowlds's Imperialism is ■ of very recent birth. There are incidents in his own political career about the time of the South African war •which he doubtless now wishes should be forgotten, but which he is going the right way to revive in the public mind.' I shall be glad if you wiD say publicly what those incidents are, or mention any one incident that would give the slightest colour or justification for this statement. You evidently wished it to be inferred that during the South ' African war I played the part of a pro-Boer. If so, I have only to say that aucb an imputation is absolutely groundless. You are entitled to hold and .to express any opinion you like regarding my public actions, but when you make an untrue assertion, I am entitled to protest. Much as I dislike j anything savouring of self-commenda-tion, I am by your action compelled in self-defence to state that I do not | think any man in Auckland spent, in i proportion to his ability, more time I and money than I did in promoting the ' South African contingents and in fos- , tering a spirit of loyalty and assistance to the Motherland at that critical time in the history of the Empire." At the first monthly meeting of directors of the Johnsonville No. 2 Co-opera-tive Building Society, the secretary reported that 521 shares had been allotted during the month. Receipts of the evening totalled £23 16s. The chairman (Mr. ' R. P. Cook) congratulated the board on the great success of the flotation of tho i Bociely. It .was resolved that 1000 shares should be the limit of issue. It Is anticipated the first appropriations by ballot will take place about three months hence. The creat respect in which the late Mrs. Job Wilton, of Wadestown, was held was shown by the large attendance at her funeral this afternoon. The interment "was made at Karori. In our advertising columns to-day Mr. Leo D. Chateau announces that he does not take classes at his schoolroom, 33, Willis-street. PupiU are taken singly. A free health talk is advertised for Monday afternoon at the-Viavi Rooms, Lambton-quay. The first general meeting of the WelKng North District Cricket Club i 3 advertised for Friday next, 10th September. A full attendance is requested. By advertisement the Railway Department advertises that holiday excursion tickets to Levin will be available on the Bth and 9th September, in connection with the Ilorowhenua races on those dates. . A meeting of ex-pupils of the Petone State and High Schools is advertised for Monday next, 6th September, in the 'Ranfurly Hall, Sydney-street. A series of meetings will commence on Sunday morning in the Wellington Baptist Cnuroh, Viviar-street, under the Rev. A. S. Wilson, whose meetings recently in Dunedin and Auckland have • attracted considerable aU«HtJ»n.