TRADE MATTERS. VIEWS OF BUSINESSMEN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 74, 27 March 1912, Page 10

TRADE MATTERS. VIEWS OF BUSINESSMEN.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING. The discussion at the conclusion of the speech (published in The Post yesterday) of the president of the Chamber 01 Commerce (Mr. H. C. Tewsley) was marked by some kindly references to himsslf, personally, and to the work which he had clone to fferther the interests of tha mercantile .community' in particular, aid of the citizens, of Wellington in general. In passing, the president expressed his regret that the proposed dinner was not held as originally . intended. In Auckland the annual dinner was regarded as au important event "by' the local Chamber of Commerce, and by prominent citizens and public men who attended it. In Dunedin and Christchurch similar importance "waQ attached to the 1 annual dinner by the Chambers of Commerce^ of those cities. To himself, personally, r it was a matter of very great regret that what he hoped would have been the commencement of a period of fresh life, fresh vigour in the chamber had* been abandoned. There were many subjects of great importance that could have been discussed with advantage. Ho had done his best, however, but felt sorry that the matter had not been taken up with such heartiness as to justify proceeding further with it. In retiring from the presidency of the chamber, Mr. Tewsley said the -work had been onerous (it vvero idle to say to tho contrary), bnt it had been meet pleasant. He had received the utmost support in his two yeVre' occupancy of the chair, and hiG work had been a labour of low. Those who took up tbfi work must do bo with the understanding that they must be prepared to go whole heartedly into it, and devote all, their available energy to* it. Speaking personally, he vras* retiring from a business houfie with which he had been connected for a great -number of years. Ria future movements for some time to come would be, he feared, say erratic. If ho did not continue to live in Welliugton, he would never forget tho friendship, kindly consideration and regard of all those with whom he had come into social and business relationship in Wellington, and he wished, them every prosperity and success. WANTED: POPULATION. Mr. James M'Lellaji congratulated the retiring president on his comprehensive speech in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. Mr. Tewsley had covered a. great deal of ground, but from the number of presidents that the chamber had had it was only what it had now come to expect of* its pre&i-" dents. They had all done what tli« members expected the incoming men U> do. ' They had all taken an interest in their work. Ji was really a v/crk of love, onerous as Mr. Tewsley said Jt was — and it certainly was onerous. Any man who loved work would have plenty of it in connection with tile Chamber vi Commerce. As for Mr. Tewsley, they •all ■ regret) ed that he "was retiring from the local house with which he had been £<> long associated. He understood My. Tewsley was going north. ]f that wer» ho, then they would greatly regret his departure from Wellington. Ho hoped that Mr. Tewsley would return to Wellington, for ho ■would be sure of a hearty welcome- from the many friends he had made in the mercantile community. Mr. Tewsley in his speech had undoubtedly etruck tho right note when lib uaicl thalt what New Zealand wanted was immigration — immigration, of course, of the right sort. Population was urgently wanted, he said, iti the country — uot in the cities. New Zealand hii'l a very large non-producing population — only to mention the Civil Service. This was an expprtive country, sending out the produce of the soil. If that produce -were net increased by more producers of' it, then the progress of New Zealand must be retarded. Endeavours had been wrongly made to foster what were called secondary industries. It ought to do all it could to increase its production, of butter and cheese, to grow mutton, wool, beef — not to aspiro to becoming &• manufacturing country. Mr. M'Leilan regretted that the Onion Company had not given effect to the wishes of the chamber for making Wellington the distributing port of the English mail by having the steamers Jeave Sydney on Monday instead of the following Saturday, and ,so facilitating the more rapid delivery of the mails to the advantage of the Dominion as a whole. The- Union Company had said it could not do this without a, subsidy. He did not see why 5 bjut« this he knew, that a shipping company could do nothing at all without a eubsidy. PACIFIC SHIPPING FREIGHTS. Mr. A. E. Mabin was very pleased to acknowledge the sagacity and kindliness of the retiring president. It 1 was to himself a matter of great regret that the chamber would net hay© tha opportunity of expressing to Mr. Tewsley ixs feelings towards him in a- fitting manner. Mr. Tewsley, wherever he might live, would cany with him the kindly feelings of the business portion cf Wellington, who, he felt cure, sincerely hoped that Mr. Tewsley would find his home in Wellington and nob in Auckland. With regard to the San Francisco mail service Mr. Mabin was sorry to say that from his experience .there was very little prospect of any reasonably largo trade being done between New Zealand and the United State, and for this a-eason. The Government, in granting a subsidy for the line, should have laid down the freights that were to be charged. As it was this had not been done. AVhat was the consequence '{ The Union Company charged such freights as made it impossible, to ship goods to the Pacific coast. The ruling freights on the San Francisco line were 50, 75, and 100 per tent, more than these for London, according to the * nature of thecargo. Ho contended that if there were to be- any more contracts of this sort, any more money available for subsidies of shipping companies, that tho Government should lay down the freight rates at which cargo was to be carried Mr.- Leigh Hunt warmly congratulated the retiring president on his addre£s. There was ample scope for the development and improvement of the railways. He could not quite see with Mr. Tewsley as to the greater encouragement of private railways, but there was much that cculd be done in the encouTage■ment of local bodies to themselves build light railways which had been eueh a great success elsewhere and would be of the utmost value w 'developmental work in the country districts in New Zealand. The Chamber of Commercewould do well in keeping a sharp eye on the laiiway department, which was too much inclined to impede restrict "1011.H which were hampering trade. He hoped th,Q outcome of the coming conference of (he. Chambers of Commerce would be to have much needed reforms effected in tlw* Bankruptcy Act. He \vu_* pleased to acknowledge the unswerving integrity of the chairman and trusted that ha would benefit materially fiom the change, which he was making. MORE IMMIGRANTS WANTED. Mr. .T. G. Harkness greatly regretted that Mr. Tewsley was severing his con uection with the City of Wellington, and trusted that the severance of hia\ lunueciiuu with its interests would bo but ' tempuiaiy. _ There was no doubt about it, move immipraticn v.as ueceoFarv if the counhy were U> prosper ha it siwul'J. Lack_ of population ja the

■country was a reason why New Zealand was not prospering more than it was. The fact was, immigration ha,d" become limited in obedience to the call of a certain Eection of the people here. He ventured to say, if addition to the country population were not made by immigration of suitable people — men and women who will settle on the land and utilise it — that it 'will be utterly impe«sible to produco more than was being produced. The right- class of settler must be brought to New Zealand, and it would be in ihe interests of the country to do as was done some twentynVts or thirty y«srs ago. when passages were paid out and land found for the right stamp of Settler. If this wert* dene he believed that within five- or ten yeara another million would be added to the population aud they would see a prosperity in Now Zealand that they had riovojr seen' before. Unless they^ boldly took up the policy of immigration^ of suitable people for the land they must bo •prepwed to see New Zealand failing to 'take her rightful pla-ce in the Empire- to which' they belonged. ELECTION -OF OFFICERS. Th© report and balaizcc-eheet having been adopted, the following council was elected : Mersrs. T. Ballinger, A. S. Biss, T. C. Dawson, A. Leigh Hunt, E. W. Hunt, Cecil W. Jones, A. E. Mabin, James Macintosh. , James M'Leilan, I. W. Manton, E. CJ. Pilcher, and W. J. Tompaon. Mr. Mabin moved and Mr. W. J. Bridson seconded — "That that meeting records ite hearty vote of thanks to the president (Mr. H. C. Tewsley) for Ms .services rendered during the past two years and wishes him every success in his future career." This was carried with acclamation.