CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 23 October 1930, Page 6

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

DOMINION CONFERENCE.

COMMERCIAL AIATTER S REVIEWED.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) THE HERMITAGE, Oct 22. Air K A. Williams, for the. Marton Chamber, at the annual meeting ot tne Associated Chambers of Commerce today submitted the following remit with regard to the Chattels Transfer Act: That owing to the preference given to certain traders under section 57 of the Chattels Transfer Act (19d4). representations be made to the government to amend its compulsory clauses and that all hire purchase agreements be registered. Air Williams said his chamber urged compulsory registration and not the abolition of the system. This was done to overcome the difficulty of a notorious custom or usuage associated with tne system. The Marton Chamber was ot the .opinion that- one of the causes or the present financial depression was. the t"-tensive and increasing use of the hire purchase system. Air Bavin (Premier of New South Wales) proposed to place a moratorium on all hire purchase agreements, because he consideied they were contributing factors to the financial stringency in liis. State. Air Tolley, Feilding, seconded. V similar remit from Palmerston 1 North was withdrawn in favour of the Marton remit. A remit from Masterton that for ■ every motor car sold on the time-pay-ment plan an instrument should be registered ” was allowed to go forward. “ Alessrs A. F. AVright (Christchurch), and F. AV. Horner (Hawera) urged the conference, not- to pass the remit light•]y as the remedy suggested in the remit would hardly he an effective cure of the evil. The Marton remit was negatived by a large majority and the Masterton remit carried by 19 votes to L . Mr A. H. Allen (Dunedin) moved that in the event of a chattel, the subject of a hire purchase agreement, within two calendar months of the being adjudged bankrupt, or of the assigning of liis estate for the- benefit of his creditors, the official assignee, or trustee for the benefit of creditors, as the case may be, shall have the right (to be exercised within one calendar month after such adjudgment or assignment) to acquire such chattel from the owner upon payment- of the balance then remaining unpaid in respect of such chattel. Mr P. B. Foote (South Canterbury) seconded the remit, which was adopted. Mr A. G. Seed (Wellington) moved: “That this conference, while appreciating the extension of New- Zealand banks in recent years of metropolitan free exchange areas, is of opinion that the areas should bo still further extended.'.’

Mr D. J. McGowan (Wellington) seconded and the remit was adopted. Air Norton Francis (Christchurch) moved that the executive be authorised to call a conference, if considered desirable, representative of labour, farming, commercial, industrial, financial and economic interests for the purpose of freely discussing the present economic position and with the object of endeavouring to promote the prosperity of the Dominion by suggesting a scheme whereby the cost of government and taxation and the costs of production might be reduced without lowering the workers’ standard of living. Air J. C. Begg (Dunedin) suggested that the words “without lowering the workers’ standard of living” be deleted and the following substituted: “With the least possible prejudice to the workers’ standard of Jiving.” , The alteration was agreed to and the remit was carried. Other important remits carried were : —• From the Canterbury chamber: “That this conference is of the opinion that there has been a tendency for legislation to be presented in Parliament, in the dying hours of the session without opportunity being given to the public to consider or make representations in regard thereto.” Te Awamutu: “That the time has, arrived when the Government should | curtail the setting up of commissions.” j