THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1890.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8196, 6 March 1890, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1890.

The gentlemen* who met yesterday to take counsel together as to the state of * the Chamber of Commerce, adopted the only course which lay open to them in appointing a committee to canvass all persons in Auckland ' connected with commerce, in order to induce them to become members of the Chamber. It is not to be thought of that the institution should' be given up. To do so would be a virtual confession that Auckland 'mid ceased to be a commercial city, for undoubtedly the Chambers of Commerce of Christchurch and Dunedin have of late shown increased vitality. They have been of great service to the commercial interests of Otago and Canterbury, and have had considerable influence on the ■ whole colony. The • Auckland ' Chamber of Commerce is not to be let die, and, indeed, in ; the: whole discussion which took place yesterday, no one so despaired of the future as to recommend that course. But it seems that the Chamber, although requiring but j a small sura to" keep it going, has been allowed to fall into debt, like so many corporate bodies in New Zealand of late /; years, /and the : debt, ;i although small, is felt to be a serious obstacle to progress, ah even to continued existence.

One cause why the Chamber has been so much neglected of late years is, the depression which » has 'prevailed;Things have been dull in Auckland, and this proposal to revive the Chamber in increased strength is; coincident with the view of better prospects. "We have had our turn of l "depression," and ours has been the last,. and ■ perhaps the most severe. Australian tourists who travel over the colony, remark on the difference of the tone they find in Auckland from that which prevails in the other 1 *rge cities. Elsewhere they experience quite as strong a sentiment on. the folly of touch of our political measures in the past, : and as strong a determination not to repeat our mistakes, but the spirit to oyer-; come all obstacles by learning to labour and to wait is far more apparent v elsewhere. Let 'our mercantile community show, by spirited. action in this matter of the Chamber of Commerce, that we are of one mind with the other parts of; the -colony. The Chamber cannot always be composed of the same men, and the ;< younger men amongst us, having interests in commerce and ■ .business, should 7be appealed to. The discussion which took place at yesterday's meeting embraced ■ some useful hints, although there was nothing said of a strikingly new character. It might be worth considering whether something could not be done to make the institution useful by augmenting the ■' publications in /the reading-room, and so making that place more of a resort, where merchants could obtain information as to business in all parts of the wold. *We shall look with interest* to the report of the canvassing committee.