BUSINESS MEN

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 125, 23 November 1923, Page 10

BUSINESS MEN

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

NEW .ZEALAND'S BUOYANT REVENUE

CONFEBENCE REMITS AND PRO-

CEEDINGS.

(mTiuoaiM.—mat 'aiiociaiiom.)

■AUCKLAND, 22nd November.

."'■ The Chambers of Commerce Conferinoe to-day carried the following remite:—: :

]'■ Auckland.—That whereas Nsw Zealand possesses magnificent scenic re;iorte •which could prove a substantial liouroe of profit to the country and un- " limited possibilities for settlement, and -whereas there is a constant chorus of v complaints at the lack of 'publicity, I the conference strongly urges the Gov;ernment to make an adequate appro■.priation per annum to advertise fiber,ally the Dominion overseas. *';■; Auckland.H-That the banks be asked v;*° Pay interest on credit balances of accounts of £100- and over; ?. that the half-yearly charge of Ss for customers' accounts be abol«ished ;■ that .all internal exchanges on ' cheques' be abolished. ;'.;: The v conference suggested that the ;;executiye should invite a sub-committee ;to investigate the rate of exchange bevtween :New. Zealand and the United "Kingdom, '

',; Remits were also passed urging the - Government to bring m a Daylight Saving Bill, advancing the clock one hour ,in summer; reaffirming the necessity for ia flat rate of freight being a condition :of future Pacific mail contracts; urging revision of the restrictions preventing a member of a public body having business dealings with that body; urging the: Government to introduce legislation abolishing the preference under' the provisions of. the Workers' Compensation Act to a claim for accident occurring on a property over mortgages. '■ A motion' was' carried drawing attention to the. discomforts of railway travelling on expresses, with special reference to the clipping of tickets, lavatory accommodation, sleeping berths, and genera] cleanliness. The conference strongly recommended members of the Chambers of Commerce and other business organisations throughout the Dominion to give every possible support to the Otago Exhibition. '; It was also decided that the executive confer with the Government regarding special passage rates from New Zealand to London during the Empire Exhibition. ; The desirability of fostering trade ■with the East was urged by a deputation from the Auckland Industrial Association. The conference expressed itself as in entire concurrence with the proposal. i "QUESTION OF IMMIGRATION ; ' ' DISCUSSED, : A remit ,from Wellington as follows •was accepted: "That the'; Dominion •hould adopt, under a well-considered scheme, a-progressive policy towards securing a sufficient number of suitable migrants from the United Kingdom each year, and thus provide for the prosperity and progress of New Zealand, and at the same time assist in relieving the Mother Country of apportion of her surplus population," The conference reCommended the executive to co-operate with the Immigration and Land Settlement League, the Fanners' Union, and other bodies:' ■■■■■• •Another Wellington proposal: "That the Government be nrged to take special measures during the British Empire Exhibition to press on British capitalists the Dominion's great potentialities for the investment of British capital " ,was also passed. . The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. A. F. Roberts (Wellington); vice-president, Mr. Peter Barr; executive, Messrs. H. W. Hudson (Auckland), J. T. Martin (Wellington), E.H. Wvles (Canterbury), J. B. Waters (Dunedin), A. H. Mackrell (Invercargill). • ; END OF THE CONFERENCE. The conference concluded with a dinner, attended by the delegates and Auckland business men. The Hon W Ddwnie Stewart' was present! A* statement' setting' out the revenue and expenditure of the Dominion for the first seven months of the financial year was made by the Minister. It showed that 4he total^revenue for the last seven The principal increases were: ■-■■■-■> £ „ Customs ■:;.;;,:............, ; 935,915 ' income-tax 258,253 Following were the principal decreases: '■.Post: and Telegraph 135,663 - Interest on public moneys 277,804 The decrease in the last item was due to the non-recovery of the half years interest from the discharged soldiers settlement , account, which was in need of money for reissue and advances. -„ .

The net increase of revenue for the seven \ months was £713,838 The figures, the Minister thought, gave evidence of the extraordinary recuperative power of; the Dominion. He pointed out that it was during the last few months of the year that two great sources of revenue, land tax and income tax, came to hand, also that during the summer the railway returns customarily showed a marked increase, ile was hopeful, therefore, that the resuHa yqiT W°Uld "h°W satisfactory

Substantial reductions in taxation had to be taken into consideration, but it was not yet possible to estimate the ♦T*t-° • I these concessions, continued the Minister who refuted an allegation that these had been at the expense, of the poorer sections of the community. ih %T\ r°W } he dele Sates wiil visit the NAotapu dam, and on Saturday they welUT Pc t CH Cer, taln harbour wor^, 2 well as other places of interest.