CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 117, 15 May 1909, Page 8

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

QUARTERLY MEETING OF THE v. /, COUNCIL.

The Council of .the Marlborough Chamber'of Commerce held its quarterly meeting last- night, in the Institute when there were, present: The President (Mr Reid), presiding, and Messrs S. Tapp, R. H. Smale, J. R. Sharp, Clbuston, A. M. Shugar and. E. Mead (secretary). Leave of absence was granted to Mr Parker. .. It was decided by fhe Council that Mr Shugar, representing The Maklbokot;gh; Express, be elected on the Council.

THE BUSINESS OF THE QUARTER.

The Chairman said it was usual -to sxibmit' a report on the business done during the quarter. There had, however, been only two meetings of the Council during the quarter. There had been no burning questions during that period to. occupy the Council's attention. He pointed out -that, at the/invitation of the Blenheim Retailers' Association,, the Council met it in conference and discussed several matters of importance, and a resolution was carried to the -effect that a programme of matters affecting the commercial interests of Marlborough be placedV before the Minister for Railways when he visits Blenheim. So far nothing had been done, and the Secretary had written the A. and P..Association and the Mayor of the town, inviting them to appoint two mmebers each for a committee to be formed for the purpose of framing the programme. The A. and P. Association had fallen in with the view of the Council, and would appoint two members, but the Mayor of the town had not acknowledged the letter sent him.; He regretted that Mr McCallum's usual courtesy had not been extended to the Chamber. Why it was so he could not say, probably it was due to the anxiety he was occasioned at the recent Mayoral election, and now that hevas settled again the Chamber would possibly receive a reply from him. .CONFERENCE (DF CHAMBERS OF

COMMERCE

The Chairman then delivered an 'address on what was done at tee recent conference of Chambers of Commerce in Wellington. In submitting his report on the conference of the N.Z. Chambers of Commerce held in. Wellington on 13th, 14th and loth April last, he had pleasure in stating -that he considered} the function a marked success. There were some •fifteen Chambers represented, / and the large number; of subjects put -down for discussion on the agenda paper gave the. delegates ample opportunity • for ventilating their viows on matters of the utmost interest to those- engaged in commerce and business, as well as to* the community o-enerally. The interest evinced by the Government (whose representative was present -each day of me conference), the local press and ike public in the various subjects as they were discussed 'was indicative of the influence the Chambers of Commerce were exercising throughout the Dominion, and that that influence was enhanced by the broad views expressed and the businesslike methods adopted in dealing with all the items that came before them was. admitted on all hands. Before he referred to the Ipublic matters of importance -which were dealt with, he was sure they would all be glad to learn ibat Tby "an unanimous vpte of the cteleWates present at the conference it was agreed that the Chambers of ■Commerce throughout New Zealand be federated. • That was a most important step in furthering the wel--fare of business and in making tne ■Chambers of Gommerce a power .for good in the Dominion. It would enable any Chamber even at a remote centre to bring forward subjects o. provincial or colonial moment, and where necessary, their decisions could be submitted for the-confirmation aim support of the united Chambers, ond also through the Parliamentary Committee in Wellington to have their deliberations brought prominently before- the Government. He was sure Tie represented the opinion oi every member of that ; Chamber when Ahesupported the resolution which was nioved before the closing of the conference that regular conferences be held annually. It was considered^ it would be advantageous that these fixtures should be held at different centres each year, and Auckland was selected as the next place of meeting. He was not in favour of that, as the expense of sending delegates to reniote parts of the Dominion, together with the fact that it would be inconvenient for many men in business to spare,the time to go long distances from home, would affect proper representation. He suggested that Wellington be accepted as the most suitable centre, and that the conferences should be held there annually. : A resolution to this effect should be discussed by the local Chamber later on, and if approved could be forwarded to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for ventilation amongst the other federated Chambers.1 Turning to the items of public importance on the aeenda naper, which were so exhaustively dealt with by delegates, the first of which was the amendment of the bankruptcy law, ■it was held fhat the administration of the present bankruptcy system had been and was extremely unsatisfactory and, in many respects, defective; chiefly for the reasons deduced, viz.: That it is suggested that section 79, subsection (1) of the Bankruptcy Act of 1908 relating to fraudulent preference be extended so that payments, etc., made or securities given by any ,debtor to protect the guarantors or sureties of the debtor or any creditor shall, in addition to the other •cases mentioned in the said sub-sec-tion, be. deemed fraudulent and void against the official assignee if the person making, taking, paying or suffering the same is adjudged bankrupt within three months thereof. A sub-committee was appointed at the conference to draw up and frame resolutions in connection with matters of vital importance to the commercial world, its deliberations being submitted to the conference for discussion. Mr'Reid said he had framed the resolution, or suggested amendment to the Bankruptcy Act of 1908, with the aid of Mr Churchward, previously to attending the conference, and had .submitted it to the conference.

Mr Myers, the Crown Prosecutor of Wellington, who had taken a •great part in the framing of resolutions, had. perused that resolution and liad said it was a good one, and was just what was needed. The conference accepted the proposed amendment of the Blenheim Chamber to the Bankruptcy Act. The conference also decided in connection with ocean mail services that the Vancouver route would be preferable to any other. . :'. i'

Among the other questions _up>on which the conference was ■unanimous were the following:—The completion •of the Main South Island Trunk

Railway; compulsory military train- ] ing of all men up to 23 years of age; the comptilsory vesting of corporation ■'sinking-funds .in 'a public trustee; the formation of a Parliamentary committee in Wellington to represent the Chambers' ot Commerce interests, and the effects of mortgage tax and graduated land tax. The discussion of the various questions was largely taken up by the Wellington press, and considerable space was allotted to them, every point being thoroughly ventilated, and a pow^r of good emanating from the controversies that took place. The conference concluded on the Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m., when a deputation waited upon the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, and the chief subjects discussed were placed before him. The deputationers received' a most cordial reception, and their deliberations were received and criticised most favourably by the Prim© Minister. A full report of the -conference would be published aud circulated amongst the ' various Chambers of the Dominion, to be paid for pro rata according to the voting powers of each Chamber. The four main centres had two votes each; all others had one vote each. The next meeting of the Federated Chambers, was fixed to be held in Auckland next Easter.

The President said the question of the place'at which the next annual conference would be held should be discussed by the Chamber, and a resolution suggesting, that it be again held in Wellington should be i'orv/arded to the various Chambers in the Dominion for approval or otherwise. He thought it would be unwise to hold the conference at Auckland or Invercargill, as it would militate against proper representation. Mr Smale asked if the town in which the next conference was to be held had not been decided upon. Mr Shugar suggested that, taking into consideration the magnitude of the question, inasmuch that it affected the whole of the Chambers throughout the Dominion, it would be a wiser plan to defer the discussing it until there was a larger attendance. It would be. infinitely better to call a special general meeting of the Chamber for the purpose #f discussing a question of such vital importance as the one before the meeting undoubtedly was. A resolution from a general meeting of the Chamber would carry more weight than one from a bare meeting of the Council. It was quite possible that if a suitable resolution was framed the decision previously arrived at by the conference would be revoked, provided the Chambers in the various parts of the Dominion were approached in a broadminded manner to support it. , ,The suggestion was agreed to.

THE MINISTER FOR RAILWAYS'

VISIT. ; -.-.,, - Mr Sharp asked if anything had been heard as to the probable date upon which the Minister/ for Railways would visit Marlborough'. The President said he had heard nothing. - / , Mr Shugar mentioned that he had 'noticed in a Wellington paper that the i Minister for Railways left Wellington during the early, part of the week for the South Island,, for the purpose of an inspection tour of the South Island railways.

The meeting then closed