BUSINESS MEN CONFER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19187, 28 November 1925, Page 12

BUSINESS MEN CONFER.

THE CHAMBERS OF COMPdERCE DOMINION DEVELOPMENT. EMPIRE TRADE PREFERENCE. [by telegraph.-—mess association.] DUNEDIN, Friday. Tho conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce concluded to-day. The following resolution was carried: Tho conference, affirms tho vital necessity to New Zealand of tho protection and maintenance of tho trado routes, and urges tho Government to provide more'adequate contribution toward tho cost of tho Empire naval defence. A resolution was carried that tho conference views with misgiving tho proposal to institute compulsory control and marketing of dairy produce from August 1, 1926, under powers given by tho Government to tlio Dairy Control Board. It was hoped that tho powers given to the Dairy and Meat Control Boards for compulsory marketing would be repealed. Remits appreciative of tho new spirit in tho Public Service displayed by the Railway Department, particularly the commercial section, wore carried. The department is urged to experiment with a night train service between Christchurch and Dunedin during the exhibition. The Minister for Customs is to be urged to continue his efforts toward more satisfactory tariff arrangements between New Zealand and Australia. Field for British Capital. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt moved: " That following the close of the British Empire Exhibition concerted special measures be taken to impress on British capitalists the Dominion's potentialities for the investment of capital, with a view to inducing active participation in the working of the undeveloped resources within the Dominion, and the institution and expansion of industries." The motion was carried. The conference recommended all the chambers of commerce to use their influence with the commercial community for the importation into New Zealand of British goods rather than goods from outside the Empire. On tho motion of Mr. J. B. Waters, Dunedin, tho conference urged upon companies and others having money to lend to again consider favourably first mortgage investments on farm lands, and to help farmers in the great difficulty experienced by them in arranging finance. Alarm was expressed at the large and ever increasing indebtedness of local bodies throughout the Dominion, and the Government was urged to inquire into, the matter with a view to checking unnecessary borrowing. A motion affirmed also that the time had arrived to define legitimate local body trading with a view to its proper limitation by legislation, and in order to prevent public bodies competing unfairly with their own ratepayers. Basic Wage Determination.

A remit that the Valuer-General be asked to arrange for a revaluation of the whole of the rural land of New Zealand with the object of bringing land down to present-day values was lost, also a Hamilton remit that the' system and methods of valuation in New Zealand were urgently in need of review. Mr. H. W. Hudson, Auckland, moved: "That this conference again protests against the retention of the formula now in use for the determination of a basic wage as being admittedly applicable to the circumstances of only one-tenth of the wage earners in the Dominion, and in the best interests of the State urges the Government to consider the possibility of adopting some method more in accord with the actual conditions." This was carried. It was resolved that the executive take the necessary steps to have representatives of importers and exporters of nonrefrigerated cargo associated with the Meat and Dairy Produce Boards when arranging annual contracts for the carriage of overseas goods to the United Kingdom. The election of officers resulted: —President, Mr. A. 11. Mackrell, Invercargill; vice-president, Mr. W. Machin, Canterbury; committee, Messrs. A. Mclvenzie and J. P. Simpson, Wellington; J. B. Richards, Stratford; P. Barr, Dunedin; A. A. Martin, Auckland. The next conference will be held at Wellington on a date to be fixed by the executive.