NELSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 17 April 1907, Page 2

NELSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Nelson hamber of Commerce was held last •ening. aiv A. H. Bisley, Chairman of ie Chamber, presided, and there were resent: 'Messrs Cock, Bannehr, Bai>nt A. A. Lucas, Kerr, C. King, "ock, F. W. Hamilton, and Hampson. Printed order papers, presented by ie Chairman, were laid before memer, who considered the innovation a ood one. „. The Chairman announced that Mr w. Hampson had been appointed becreMr Hampson read the minutes of the irevious monthly meeting, which were onfirmed. The minutes of a committee meeting idd on the 15th April were also cad. The Chairman said he had asked seviral to become members of the Chamier, though he had not made an active •anvass, and many he had spoken to lad considered it an honour to be ask;d to join. The Chamber wanted more nembers, and he urged the old members :o do their best to obtain further new members. He saw no reason why the membership should not reach from 100 to 150 by the end of the half-year. Mr Bisley then proposed 41 new members, is follows :— Messrs T. Eastcott, E. Cresswell, P. B. Atkinson, W. A. Roughton, R. Fell, Dr. Hamilton, E. J. Allan, Dr. Lucas, E. Richards, Dr. Wright, R. Nicol, C. Harley, G. Page, Dr. Barr, E. Moore, P. Moore, T. Usher, J. Neale, Dr. Andrew, T. Hingston, W. Langlands, H. Milner, G. M. Simpson, A. Maginnity, Chas. Harley, E Trask, R. Allan (New Zealand Clothing Factory), T. B. Huffam, E. H. Bisley, E. Smallbone, J. F. Hardie, C. Levien, T. Smallbone, A. G. Betts, J. Shields, B. Tasker, E. Grove, E. E. Grove, E. McPherson, Chas, Kidson, arid Chas. Leaper. Mr Lock seconded, and said the Chairman was entitled to the best thanks of the Chamber. The Chairman must have been very energetic in securing so many new members. Those proposed were then elected members of the Chamber. Correspondence was read and considered. A communication was received with reference to the Franco-British Exhibition to be held in England next year. Mr Lock thought an exhibit of Nelson hops, if not of other products, should De made at the Exhibition. Mr. Hamilton was of opinion that the Department of Industries would take up the matter, and see that the colony's products were represented. Mr Bannehr moved that the Committee ask the Department of Industries what it intended to do, and endeavour to secure the representation of Nelson minerals as well as of hops at the Exhibition, a sub-committee to be formed to carry out the project. The motion was carried. The Auckland Chamber suggested that the Bankruptcy Act of 1892, be remodelled, and sought the co-operation of the Nelson Chamber towards that end. The Committee of the Nelson Chamber recommended that the proposal of the Auckland Chamber be endorsed, with a suggestion that the District Courts be given wider jurisdiction ii| bankruptcy. On Mr Lock'- motion the recommendation was adopted, copies thereof to be forwarded to the Government and the members for the district. The West India Committee in London requested the Chamber to support the Brussels Sugar Bounty Convention being continued, in the interests of British trade. On Mr Cock's motion it was resolved that tho Chambor support a. continuation of the Convention. The Chairman read a list of exports for the last <iuart2r as follows : — Articles. Quantity, Value. Ay. Price, Bitter... 30 cwt £141 IOJ per It Gol 1 13l)8oz Bdwt b>33 £i per oz Hides ... 25 No. 26 £1 each Hops ... 77 cwt 378 10, l d per lb Leather 13 cwt 78 1/1 per 11 Tallow 30 cwt 40 25/- per cwt, Sh'pskins 49551ba W0 9.kl per lb Wool, grsy G0U,2341bs 24152 yjd per lb. Mr Hampson suggested that the quarterly returns should be recorded in a special book for the purposes of comparison. The suggestion was considered an admirable one, and it was resolved to adopt it. The Chairman announced that there were no sub-committees' reports for presentation that evening, but he hoped there would be some at the next meetin;;. With the large membership it was now possible to refer matters affecting one particular branch of the business to a sub-committee composed of those engaged in that business. He threw out a suggestion that the meeting room be opened in the evenings, Mr Hampson stated that 18 months ago he had endeavoured to get a branch of the Tourist Department opened in Nelson, and had made certain offers to the Government. He thought that the Government might now assist and the Chamber and the Tourist Department might work together in the matter of having a room. The suggestion to open the room in the evening was approved, and it was resolved that it be a recommendation to the General Committee to report on the suggestion. The Chairman referred to the necessity of having a scale of mercantile charges. All other Chambers had a scale of charges, and he would like a Committee set up to report on a proposal that the Nelson Chamber have a scale. A Committee consisting of Messrs c , ot *> nan| ps°n, Hamilton, Lock, and the Chairman was set up to report on the matt?r at the nex tmeeting Ihe meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.