FIRST PARTY ARRIVES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 74, 24 September 1936, Page 10

FIRST PARTY ARRIVES

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, September 23,

England, Wales, the Irish Free State, Southern Rhodesia, and Trinidad were represented by seven travellers who arrived from England by the Remuera to attend the fourteenth congress 'of the Federated Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, which will open at Wellington next week. This was the first of several parties of delegates which will arrive at Auckland in the next few days.

A former High Sheriff of Glamorganshire and an ex-member of the British House of Commons, Sir Lewis Lougher is a member of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce and has shipping interests. He said that the importation of colonial produce through Cardiff was largely on the increase, and he hoped that New Zealand would share in Lhis South Wales trade. "New Zealand produce is very favourably received in South Wales, and is ' much sought after," he added.

Accompanying Sir Lewis is Mr. T. H. Mordey, another member of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, who also is connected with the shipping industry. Mr. Mordey is a member of the council of the Federated Chambers of Commerce.

A former High Commissioner lor Southern Rhodesia, the Hon. J. W. Downie, C.M.G., is the delegate from the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce. He has been Minister of Agriculture and Mines in the Southern Rhodesian Government, and was High Commissioner from 1930 to 1935. Mr. Downie, who was born at Glasgow and has been in Southern Rhodesia for 40 years, retired from business in 1919 and was in Parliament from 1923 to 1934. "Southern Rhodesia has been through the depression the same as other countries, but the colony has varied its output of primary products and raw materials, and the gold-mining and mineral Industries have carried us through," said Mr. Downie. "We have a satisfactory budgetary position and have been able to reduce taxation." A FREE STATE DELEGATE. From the Irish Free State comes Mr. George N. Jacob, president of a firm of biscuit manufacturers with factories at Dublin and Aintree, near Liverpool, who is a representative cf the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the Free State. He is making his first visit to New Zealand, but his brother, Mr. W. F. Jacob, a well-known breeder of pedigree stock at Feilding, has been a resident of the Dominion for 50 years. "Being a manufacturer, I avoid politics assiduously," said Mr. Jacob in declining to comment upon the political situation in the Irish Free State. He added, however, that the Government was definitely encouraging industry, and a great number of new manufacturing companies had been started. A Yorkshire delegate to the congress is Mr. A. J. Pyrah, who is a director of a carpet manufacturing company and who is the representative of the Cleckheaton Chamber of Commerce. Another delegate, who is making his second visit to the Dominion—his lasi ■was 25 years ago—is Mr. C. T. Craig, a woodpulp importer, who is one oi the representatives of the London Chamber of Commerce. . Discussions which would particularly interest him at the congress would be those in connection with the petroleum and sugar industries, said Mr. D. McBride, Trinidad, the only delegate of the West Indies. It might be possible, Mr Mcßride said, for New Zealand to develop a dairy produce market in Trinidad. A small amount of New Zealand butter entered the island at present, this being transhipped either in the West Indies or in Canada. The Trinidad grapefruit industry was increasing rapidly, and Mr. Mcßride proposed making inquiries in New Zealand as to the possibility of establishing a market here.