CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7379, 4 February 1902, Page 2

CH AMBERS OF COMMERCE.

OPENING OF CONB'ERENOE.

(PER PRESS ASBOCATIION.)

Wellington, February 4. } The Conference of the Chambers of Commerce opened this afternoon. Mb D. J. Nathan (Wellington) was president, and in his- opening address, said that the position of mercantile and industrial life was far from justifying the pessimism that bad characterised the utterances of public men and the writings in the newspapers. No doubt wool was as low in price as the world bad ever known, but signs of improvement were noticeable. Comparing the position of the sheepfarmer in 1881 (before the frozen meat industry revolutionised the condition of the colony) with that at the present time, it was found that he drew an average last year of 10s per sheep, as against 5s in 1881. The significance of the drop of a million and a-half in our exports was greatly discounted by the fact that the total exports for some years have shown abnormal increases. In any case a fall of a million and a-half was not likely to ruin this colony. Frozen meat has been higher in value, but few could grumble at the present prices, and moreover there are signs of improvement. Tallow, butter, and flax are high, while the prospects of wheat and oats hardly justify any special feeling of despondency. Gold, timber, and gum pro* ducts more than maintain their position, and tbe coal output is increasing, while there are other industries, pork export, for instance, awaiting development. The Chairman strongly advocated preferential treatment of Britishmade goods, and urged the opening up of the country by means of roads, bridges, and railways, and particularly the completion of the main trunk lines.