CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Evening Star, Issue 16995, 18 March 1919, Page 7

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The monthly meeting of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce was held last, evening, Mr J. B. Waters (president) occupying the chair. Messrs Henry Halliday, E. 0. Reilly, and W. J. Shepherd were elected members of the Chamber. The Minister of lands wrote that he had not yet been able to deal with the presentations' of the deputation re the Otago land tenures. —Received. Mr P. C. Triggs, treasurer of the Workers' Educational Association, wrote soliciting the sympathy and practical support of the Chamber.—The secretary (Mr Barr) reported that the president had written to Mr Triggs stating that the suggestion would receive the sympathetic consideration of the Council of the Chamber. As regards representation on the W.E.A. Council, the president, in his letter, added that it might be better if the Chamber were not represented, as it might occasion a suspicion in the mirds of "cine of the association’s friends that the Chamber were 11 dcavoring to exercise somi influence over that body.—lt was decided to ranks a donation of five guineas to the ■mds of the association.

Mr H. C. Campbell wrote that it would be a s'i'p tn the right direction ■’ 'he various chain 1 , era w.tc asked to give a’ approximate estimate of the cargo now lying in Sydney awaiting transhipment from vessels whose final port of destination was Sydney, and for which importers could only get bills of lading. When this information was gathered then he thought the assistance of the Government should be enlisted _ to endeavor to get the enormous Quantities now lying there brought over to New Zealand. Some of the vessels whose transhipments Dunedin was waiting for left Sydney outward bound again during the month of October. They also knew that huge quantities were lying in Melbourne. It bad been mooted that there were between 20.000 and 25.000 ions of cargo awaiting transhipment at Melbourne and Sydney for New Zealand. —The matter was referred to the Imports ‘Comon'ten f o take it, nn vigorously, and to communicate with the Minister of Munitions. A letter was read from the Harbor Board forwarding resolutions passed on the motion of Mr H. C. Campbell re a deputation to the Union Steam Ship Company as to bringing on their Sydney steamer to Dunedin, and as to getting bills of lading made to ports of destination without transh-nmeiits.—Messrs H. K. Wilkinson and W. Speight were appoinfid to represent (he Chamber in the man it. —A letter was read from th ? Dunedin Fruit Growers’ Association drawing attention to the disadvantageous shipping facilities Dunedin at present labored under. All oversea fruits were consigned to terminal ports only, and Dunedin, owing to tho lack of a sufficient coastal service, was greatly handicapped.—The letter was referred to the Chamber’s delegates on the deputation to wait on the Union Company. The New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, Wellington, wrote urging the appointment by 4 the Government of commercial agents in America and rhe Hast in order to find freah mT.rt.Tets for the Dominion’s products.—Referred to the Fxoryts Committee. The President referred (e the heavy charges at present being made for freights, and he was anlhorised tn dipt ft a letter to the various chambers asking them to take Ci mbined action in the tm-iter. and to approach the authorities to see whether it was not possible to get a further reduction in freights (inwards and outwards).