CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 224, 26 February 1875, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The monthly general meeting of the members of the Chamber of Commerce took place yesterday afternoon, at three o'clock. Present—Messrs L. E. Nathan (chairman), Dymock, A. Duncan, J. A. Bird (secretary). J. D. Macpherson, J. Inglis, H. Matson, T. B. Craig, Cunningham, Cuff, Melville, Connal, Lane, Boper, Sir Cracroft Wilson, Hassal, Palmer, Murray-Aynsley, Bevans. Mr P. H. Moore, of Dalgety, Nichols and Co, who had been proposed at a previous meeting, was elected a member of the Chamber. The chairman said that the sub-committee appointed by the Chamber had had an interview with the Minister of Justice, the Hon C. C. Bowen, and brought under his notice certain recommendations, suggested by the Chamber, for altering the Insolvency Laws. It was recommended that the Bill brought in by Mr Bathgate (but afterwards withdrawn) should be re-introduced with certain alterations submitted by the Chamber. Mr Bowen coincided with the committee in the desirability of the Insolvency Laws being amended, and promised to give the matter his best consideration. The committee also brought under Mr Bowen's notice the desirableness of some provision being made for bringing back absconding debtors to the colony ; at present a man could get himself adjudicated a bankrupt, and then he could easily leave the colony, and there was no provision to bring him back. Mr Bowen cordially agreed with the Chamber as to the desirability of amendment being made in the Insolvency Laws, and promised that his best attention should be given to it when he got back to Wellington. It would be remembered that at the last meeting the propriety of a steam tug for Lyttelton Harbor was discussed, and it was stated that the Provincial Government had ordered one for that purpose. The Government was written to on the matter, and the following letter was received in reply:— " Public Works Office, Christchurch, Canterbury, N.Z., "21st January, 1875. " Sir,—l have the honor, by direction of his Honor the Superintendent, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 21st January, 1875, requesting to be informed whether it is true that the Government have ordered a steam tug for Lyttelton Harbor, and in reply to state that the Government have not yet ordered a tug, but they have instructed the deputy harbor master to report as to what he considers the most suitable vessel for the purpose, the horse power, &c, and whether he would recommend the purchase of a vessel or to subsidise one. On the receipt of his report the Government will, subject to the approval of the Provincial Council, take such action as may be necessary. " I have the honor to be, sir, " Your obedient servant, '•Thomas W. Maude, " Secretary for Public Works. "The Chairman Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Christchurch." It would be in the recollection of members that Mr Macpherson stated at the last meeting that the Provincial Government of Otago subsidized a steamtug to the amount of £1200; since then, Mr Macpherson had made inquiry and found that the subsidy was only to the extent of £6OO. Mr Macpherson—-It used to be £I2OO, a year or two ago. The chairman said that no doubt the Chamber would have had their attention directed of late to a telegram which stated that a large number of spurious labels were being imported into the colony, and would also be glad to learn that the Provincial Governments of Wellington had given notice to take action in the matter. Mr Hassal said that, at the last meeting of the committee, he asked the chairman whether he could afford any information how the Press Telegraphic Agency was managed. He might state that instances had occurred where telegrams sent by that agency were published by the newspapers, and the next day other telegrams were received contradicting the previous ones. In fact, as a rule, the telegraphic news published by the papers was not so correct as the local intelligence. He (Mr Hassal) did not know whether this agency was under Government control, but he thought it highly desirable that the utmost care should be taken to see that the intelligence transmitted was of an authentic character. He believed that the chairman was in the possession of some information which he would probably give to the Chamber. He might state as an instance of the manner in which the telegraphic intelligence was transmitted, that in August last "the telegram respecting the Canterbury Bailway Bills was as brief as possible whilst a number of unimportant matters were telegraphed very fully. The chairman said that he believed as far as the present " Press Agency" was concerned, it was entirely in the hands of Messrs Brogden and Co. As regarded the transmission of intelligence, he hardly thought it was competent for the Chamber to say what should be transmitted, and what should not, still, as very considerable concessions were made as to the rate of charges for Press telegrams, he thought that the public

might very fairly ask the Government to see that the parties sending the telegrams should transmit only authentic intelligence ; in fact he thought that a penalty might be very fairly imposed, when it could be shown that unreliable intelligence had been transmitted wilfully or through culpable negligente. He thought that the Chamber wad indebted to Mr Hassal for bringing this matter before it. The meeting then adjourned.