CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16847, 11 May 1918, Page 8

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

EXPORTERS' DIFFICULTIES. The council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce met yesterday afternoon, the President, Mr. R. Burns, presiding. . . A sub-committee set up to report upon the Finance Act' advocated caution in the application of the compulsory clause in connection with war loans, lest capital might be withdrawn. . In regard to assistance to small shareholders, it was recommended that consideration be deferred. The report was adopted. In .regard to the chamber's effort to induce waterside workers to work after 10 p.m. in the 1 loading of ships, & sab-committee reported that nothing definite had been arrived at. There seemed little doubt that the rules of the union allowed the men to work after the hour aamed, but they clearly had an individual aversion to doing so. The result was that frequently cargo was shut oat of vessels with space to spare, and this meant a dead loss to exporters. It was considered that a law was required to prevent vessels leaving-a port with empty cargo space. It was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the Government. The matter of a trade commissioner in connection with trade between New Zealand and the Islands was considered in the form of a letter from a Fiji correspondent. It was decided to reply that the time was not considered opportune for such an appointment. A local firm wrote calling attention to increased freight: charges being made by the Railway Department between Lyttelton and Christcnurch. It was decided to refer the matter to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce.