CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19142, 7 October 1925, Page 13

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

REMITS FOR CONFERENCE. PUBLICITY FOR PRODUCE. The council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce met yesterday, Mr. M. Stewart occupying the chair, in the absence of the president, Mr. A. A. Martin. A number of remits to be forwarded to the forthcoming conference of Associated Chambers of Commerce were considered. One was: "That, in view of the vital necessity to New Zealand of the maintenance of our trade routes, this conference urges the Government to meet its fair proportion of the cost of Empi,re Naval Defence by a per capita contribution equal to that of the Homeland." Other remits dealt with the proposed reversion to the pre-war penny duty on cheques and receipts, and with the method adopted by the Government Stores Control Board when requiring supplies, the suggestion being made that tenders should be invited by advertisement, that a classified list of approved contractors should be kept and that each unsuccessful tenderer should be given information direct as a matter of departmental routine, stating the name of the successful tenderer and the price paid. The necessity for advertising Dominion produce in the United Kingdom was emphasised in a letter from the secretary of the Auckland Employers' Association. Attention was drawn to a recentlv-pub-lished statement that American and Continental combines would launch a campaign in England against Empire foodstuffs as soon as the Empire Exhibition closed. This campaign, it was stated, was designed to regain the markets won by overseas Dominions through the medium of the exhibition. Mr. J. R. Rendall said New Zealand had never troubled to establish in England, by means of advertising, any market other than wholesale for butter. Other members were of opinion that the matter of advertising Dominion primary* products was essentially one for the Dairy Control Board and the Meat Control .Board, who had ample funds for that purpose. It was decided that copies of the letter should be referred to these bodies. . A suggestion from the Opotiki Chamber of Commerce, that the Auckland Chamber should support the adoption of a vigorous policy of road-making between Opotiki and the East Coast was deferred for further consideration at .the local chamber's monthly luncheon to-morrow.