BOARD OF TRADE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 126, 29 May 1915, Page 9

BOARD OF TRADE

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ATTITUDE. About a dozen members attended the special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, when Mr. A. R. Sennett delivered an address in regard to the proposed Board of Trade and Industries. Mr. James Macintosh, who presided, said Mr. Sennet t was the originator of the proposal, and had taken upon himself to travel the length and breadth of New Zealand, generally under the auspices of the Chambers of Commerce, to explain the objects he had in view. Mr. Sennett, in bi« address, referred principally to the question of foreign trade, and the best means of preventing its renewal after the war. He stated that he had interviewed some 300 of the Dominion's principal business men with regard to the proposal, and each one had received it most favourably. The board waa modelled on the Boards of Commerce, which had done good work in the U.S.A. and Canada, while the decentralisation proposals were on the lines of the British Association of Science, of which he had been a member of the Grand Council for some years. The board would consist of a president nominated triennially, vice-president elected biennially, forty-two members, with a central executive and separate execute committees in four centres, as well' a* some seventeen advisory committees, to be called together when necessary. He hoped that when the proposed board had been formed they would be a stop nearer to an Empire Board of Trade, and an Empire Parliament for the consideration of trade and industrial questions. On the conclusion of the address, the Chairman said that the subject was one that required a great deal of thought. While, personally, he agreed with the idea in the main, yet the scheme that had been propounded to them was bo comprehensive, seeking to establish a board of such very great magnitude that he thought they would hardly be justified in passing such a resolution as Mr. Sennett had put into his hands. The resolution expressed approval of the board, asked that it be set up immediately, and contained, also an expression of satisfaction at the promise of the Prime Minister to introduce legislation. To pass a resolution like that, the Chairman continued, would be tantamount to saying that they understood the whole thing, and would be prepared to answer any questions the Prime Minister might put to them if he proposed to introduce legislation. Personally, he did not think they. ought to go so far. Mr. W. G. Foster said the attendance of members of the Chamber was so sparse that it would be , unwise to pass any resolution. The explanation given by Mr Sennett was lucid and comprehensive, but he thought they should not express an opinion in k the absence of so many of their members. The meeting, on a show of hands, decided that no resolution be put. The Chairman moved a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Sennett for his very lucid address, which must have co3t him a very great deal of trouble to compile. He might be assured that the matter would receive very careful consideration, and at some future meeting perhaps further action would be taken. The motion was carried' by acclamation. Mr. Sennett expressed his great disappointment at tho very poor attendance, and, that being so, he personally shared Mr._ Foster's feeling. "If you had turned up in you numbers and had passed a resolution, a-^hod been done in every single instance but your own, no one could have said it would have been unrepresentative. That, I take it, was Mr. Foster's attitude." Mr Foster signified that that was so. _ Mr. Sennett said he took it that they did not condemn the proposal, but voted neither way. Mr. Foster agreed that no opinion was expressed. Mr. Sennett : "I don't think your opinion would help very much now. When I say that, I mean that what has been dona will be reported immediately, and if you were to pass a resolution tater on it would be too late." He said that the Prime Minister, after having evidently given thorough consideration to the proposal, had promised definitely to introduce legislation, so that he was not asking them to help him persuade the Prime Minister.