AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12271, 15 May 1903, Page 6

AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

OPENING OF THE NEW BUILDING.

SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR.

REFERENCE TO MAIN TRUNK RAIL-

WAY.

The new building in Swanson-street which has been erected as a home for the Auckland Chamber of Commerce was formally opened yesterday by His Excellency the Governor (Lord Ranfurly). The opening function took the form of a conversazione, and was attended by many influential citizens. The Governor was accompanied by Major Alexander (private secretary), and the Hon. H. C. Butler, A.D.C. There were also present: Mr. B. Kent (chairman). Sir John Logan Campbell, the Hon. E. Mitchelson .(Mayor of Auckland), Mr. F. E. Baume, M.H.R., Mr. Alfred Kidd, M.H.R., Professor Talbot-Tubbs, Professor A. W. P. Thomas, Professor Brown, Professor Segar, the Rev. D. W. Runciman, LieutenantCommander Minett, and Mr. E. E. Goodhue, (paymaster of the U.S. gunboat Wheeling), and Messrs. S. Vaile, J. H. Upton, T. Hodgson, W. J. W. Philson, J. M. Mennie, A. B. Roberton, A. H. Nathan, E. Morton, J. Savage, R. Hobbs, W. B. Leyland, L. D. Nathan. John Reid, R. A. Carr, T. Finlayson, J. W. Shackelford (Mayor of Grey Lynn), J. Schischka, Thos. Buddie, Graves Aickin, H. M. Smeeton, G. A. Buttle, C. Suggate, J. T. Garlick, J. P. Hooton, A. Bell, F. G. Ewington, A. Dewar, F. H. Pickering, H. C. Tewsley, W. E. Hutchison, J. Fitt (Mayor of Parnell), Sydney Nathan, F. Hull, C. Kingswell, Harrop, J. F. Leighton, J. Bridgowater, Vincent Rice, M. A. Clark. I. Alexander, R. Farrell, M. Casey, R. R. Hunt, Thos. Morrin, G, W. S. Patterson, J. M. Morran. Dr. Sharman, Messrs. Joseph Thorncs, A. Rose, H. B. Morton, Thomas Hutchison, E. Mahoney. W. Ledingham, H. W. Wilson (town clerk), W. G. Meddings, Thos. Cheeseman, G. Winstone, J. McK. Geddes, L. J. Bagnall, R. Burrow, W. J. Napier, P. M. Hansen. C. W. G. Little, A. B. J. Irvine, W. B. Buller, H. Dacre, J. W. Tibbs, A. Clark, Ernest Davis, B. J. M. Kemp, Rees George, Richard Warnock, A. Busck, J. T. Julian, M. McCallum, Ashley Hunter, H. Edmonds, Jno. Burns, A. Millar, E. Turner, C. V. Houghton, and others. Apologies were announced from the Premier, Mr. Duthie, M.H.R. (Wellington), Sir Maurice O'Rorke, and others. The Premier telegraphed: "I fear my present arrangements will not permit me being present at conversazione. Many thanks for invitation and courtesy." * SPEECH BY THE CHAIRMAN. The Chairman, in welcoming the Governor, said it was common knowledge that ever since His Excellency stepped on the shores of New Zealand he had done his utmost to forward the interests of every worthy institution where his helping hand could be given. Educational, social, artistic, benevolent, and commercial institutions had been uniformly benefited by the gracious patronage of the Governor. When the time came for him to leave this country there would remain behind him a magnificent record of the splendid work he had done in the interests of New Zealanders. (Applause.) After reading from the rules of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce the paragraphs relating to the objects of the institution, the chairman pointed out that such Chambers were to be found in all the thriving cities of the civilised world. The great Parliament of Britain did not hesitate for a moment to call to its aid the London Chamber of Commerce, being perfectly cognisant of the fact that they had in that Chamber thoroughly efficient, welltrained, upright gentlemen of wide experience, whose advice on difficult and knotty commercial questions was of the utmost possible value. It was hardly necessary to allude to the wonderful' progress made by the city of Auckland, and of the colony of New Zealand. The facts were patent to everybody. In less than 70 years Auckland had grown from a small settlement to a great city, possessing all the comforts and conveniences of civilisation. They had among them, he was happy to notice, a citizen who could look back over the whole history of the city history of 70 yearsin the person of Sir John Logan Campbell. (Cheers.) In regard to wheat, timber, and gum, and dairy produce, the colony had done magnificently in the limited time they had been working. New Zealanders, however, would not stop there; they would increase it a hundredfold. New Zealand was a great country, and they did well to entertain high hopes concerning it. If they lived long enough they might even see the completion of the Main Trunk railway. j (Laughter and applause.) The country was destined to bo the home of the millions, instead of some 800,000 only as now. They would _ have magnificent engineering industries giving employment to thousands of men, ! and circulation to hundreds of thousands of pounds. The commerce of the land would be enormously extended. (Applause.) ADDRESS BY THE GOVERNOR. The Governor thanked the chairman for his kindly reference to himself. He had taken the deepest interest in every institution, and in every committee that had been formed for the benefit of the colony. He was glad to think that the Auckland Exhibition, which he had the honour of opening some years ago, had ended in the establishment of that building. A Chamber of Commerce owned absolutely by its members, free from debt, was, he understood, a unique thing in the colony. (Applause.) But a Chamber of Commerce was an essential to the country; in fact, not one, but several Chambers of Commerce. The imports in 1895 were but £6.000,000, whereas they were now 11$ millions, or nearly j double. The exports in 1892 were 8£ millions, I at the present time they were 13£ millions. When they considered that five millions of 1 imports and exports found their way into the port of Auckland it would be seen that vast interests were at stake, and that with the upward grade New Zealand was on— would, he hoped, continue to be onit was essential to do all that could be done commercially to meet the requirements of the present age. There had been much talk about British manufactures and freetrade in the British colonies. He looked at the imports of this colonv and was glad to see that, comparatively speaking, a small part was of foreign manufacture. Their Exeoutive Committee had done their duty in the endeavour to promote not only the trade of Auckland in everyway, but the trade of the British Empire with New Zealand. (Applause.) If their present building were used for this purpose a great work would be done. Reference had been made to the Main Trunk railway, and also to the fact that Auckland was only 70 years old. Well, Auckland was not built in a day, and there were big engineering difficulties in the construction of the Main Trunk line. Ho visited it nearly every time he came to Auckland, and watched the progress of the work with the deepest interest. When the line was completed it would prove of great benefit to the'colonj. but the completion was not only a matter of time, but of money, and they all knew that money was not as cheap as it was a year or two ago. He did not know exactly at what rate the work was progressing, but this year he had travelled 30 miles further along the line than he had two years ago. There was no question that the line could be opened for traffic as far as the Wanganui River by six weeks hence if necessary. He was about to sugi gest the end of the year, but he substituted the words six or seven weeks. He was much struck with the great forest, many of the trees being magnificent. Auckland would not be the loser by this forest, as there could be no question that a large amount—in fact, the majority—of the timber trade must come up to Auckland. The completion of this line would be a great benefit to the colony, and he hoped it would to some extent end the rivalry that existed between Auckland and Wellington. Rivalry was a good thing, but provincialism was bad. There was too much jealousy between the different centres of the colony. He advised them to join hands for the purpose of advancing the colony. The colony was in a very prosperous condition, having made magnificent progress during the last few years. Ho had very much pleasure in declaring the Chamber open, and he honed it would be of benefit to the commerce of the whole country. He observed from the newspapers that they were going in for sh-w cases so that the products of the colony might be seen by visiting commercial travellers and others. He hoped that when this was done provision would be made for an attendant whose duty it would be to explain to visitors what the things were. To go into an exhibition and see things in cases without knowing what the objects were was worse than useless. (Applause). Refreshments were provided. A capital band was in attendance, and an admirable programme was submitted, a violin solo being contributed by Miss Doris Boult, and songs by Mrs. Ernest Davis and Mrs. Charles Phillips.