CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 253, 20 September 1930, Page 9

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The annual report to be presented by the president (Mr M. H. Oram) to the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce contains the following: “Members will remember that only about six months have elapsed since the last report was presented. The rules of this chamber provide that the 'year shall end on the 31st August of each year and on this occasion the financial year is being made to ooincide with that set out in the rules. It may well be considered, however, whether some more suitable date such as the 31§t December or the 31st March should not be adopted and the rules amended accordingly. “Among the most important matters dealt with by the council of the chamber during the year was the consideration of the report brought down by the Unemployment Committee. A special sub-committee was appointed which went into the matter very carefully with the most valuable assistance of Mr D. O. Williams, of Massey< College. This sub-committee brought down a report which, with the approval of the chamber, was duly circulated. In view of the ‘fact that the general finding of the sub-committee was that the report as a whole was a genuine attempt to deal with this grave national problem on sound fundamental lines, it is gratifying to see that the- Unemployment Bill presented to Parliament embodies the fundamental principles of the report practically unaltered. If any thing, the problem is becoming more acute than ever and at this time of the year, of course, the number of unemployed is increased by the seasonal nature of many of the avenues of employment. From the 10tli March of this year, when the unfilled applications on the books of the Government employment bureau totalled 2652, the number has steadily increased until on June the 9th the number totalled 5067. , , “Another matter that came before the chamber during the year, the full importance of which is not appreciated by the majority of people, was contained in a circular letter from the M-arton Chamber of Commerce dealing with the question of the extenvron of hire purchase agreements. Thrs chamber was convinced upon the v«v,w ot the whole position that a re<4'iction, if not total abolition, of the system was imperative rather than a gradual extension of the field of operations as appears, to be the tendency under the existing legislation.”