CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1057, 2 June 1892, Page 37

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

QUARTERLY -MEETING. The quarterly meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was held on Thursday afternoon, the President (Mr T. J. Gale) being in the chair. The other members present were—Messrs A. .T. Duncan, J. G. W. Aitken, E. W. Mills, A. Campbell, A. A. Corrigan, J. H. Cock, M, Kennedy, C. W. Benbow, W. G. Tustin, J. Dransfield, R. Wilberfoss, N. Lawson, W. Gill and L. M. Harris. APOLOGIES. Apologies for inability to be present were read from Messrs J. Duthie, W. G. Foster, H. Beauchamp and W. R. Cook, President's Address. CHICAGO EXHIBITION. The President then delivered a long and interesting address. After refer, ing to his own appointment a 3 one of the Commissioners for the Chicago Exhibition, he went on to say that nothing had yet been done towards organisation, and it was not an easy matter to ascertain what the Government were doing in the matter. When in Dunedin a week or two ago he called upon the President of the Chamber of Commerce there, and he reported that a 3 far as he wa3 aware no progress had been made by his committees. In the meantime their hands were tied, as the Minister had not approved of any of the Commissioners, and no one, therefore, had authority to organise and arrange for exhibits. As far as an adequate appropriation was concerned, he thought this would be forthcoming, as Mr Seddon appeared to recognise the value the Exhibition would be to the Colony. The President of the Dunedin Chamber and himself had submitted to Mr Seddon an estimate of £9OOO as being what they thought the cost would be to the Colony, and, therefore, asked him for an appropriation of £lO 000, which he promised to consider, at the same time assuring them that a suitable appropriation would be provided for in the Estimates. Possibly this was what Mr Seddon was waiting for, but as the space must be applied for in October, and the exhibits of wool should be arranged for hefore the wool season if the Colony was to exhibit at all no time ought to bo lost. Our exhibits should be on a scale hitherto unatfcempted, and with our principal export ''wool” we should make it a feature of the exhibition. He understood it was the intention of the Governmenb to send a wool expert to the exhibition, who would give the necessary information regarding our wool to those interested in that staple. SANKRUPTCY. After recounting the work done and the efforts made by the various Chambers of Commerce in the Colony to secure a new and satisfactory Bankruptcy Act, and the failure to get the Bill of last session through Parliament, the President went on to say that the report was now freely circulated that the Government have no intention of passing the Bill this session. He sincerely hoped there was no foundation for this report, as the present Act was absolutely useless for the protection of honest traders, while to those who cannot be so designated it afforded immunity from punishment. It really handicapped the honest trader and protected the dishonest. It was a disgrace to this commercial age and Colony that the Government should allow an Act to remain on the Statute Book under the protection of which reckless trading, extravagance, dishonesty and every species of fraud might be practised. He trusted energetio action would be taken by the various Chambers of Commerce to bring influence upon the Government to pass the new Bankruptcy Act next session. IMPORTS ANT) EXPORTS. After remarking upon the sound state of business in this district, and the fewness of bankruptcies du i:.g the , asfc quarter, the President said the imports, .xclusive of epecie, into New Z aland for the year ending 31st March la t were valued at £6,622,647, as agauwt £6,042,412 for the previous year j while taking specie into consideration the total increase of imports for the year ending 31st March, 1592, was £396,637. The exports for the financial year showed a reduction of £61,000 on the previous year, but it was satisfactory to note that this was attributable to the export of specie, and for the year ending 3l»t Maroh, 1891, specie to the value of £241,564 was exported, whereas last year only £6IOO was exported, and it was a matter for further congratulation that, notwithstanding a shriukage last year in the export of wheat of £310.C00. the total exports of

New Zealand produce showed an increase of £147,000. LAND SETTLEMENT. Land settlement in the North Island was progressing very favourably. He was informed on good authority that the quantity of land cleared and burned between Palmerston North and Mount Egtnont last season waa estimated to be about 130,©00 acres. Of this one third was felled during the previous season. This land would be only partially stocked, until June and July next, but there should be an appreciable increase in sheep in and between the dis tricts that ha had named. Settlement still continued, and Government land when thrown open waa eagerly competed for. He was informed that there was a large quantity of land now in course of survey. Considering that a line drawn, say, from Palmerston at a right angle to the coast to Mount Egnconb, at a distance of 15 to 25 miles from the sea, represented only the settled districts of the West Coa3t, it must be evident that settlement could be continued inland another 30 miles before touching the settled land of Hawkes Bay ; and when the Government offer the vast area of land known as the Waimarino Block, containing 400,000 acres, there would be keen compatition for it. From Palmerston North to Paikakariki and at Pahiatua settlement had made very satisfactory progress, the quantity of bush felled and burned being esti mated to be about 40,000 acres. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. He was gratified to see that the butter export showed an increase of £70,000 as compared with last year, but he regretted that no progress had been made in the export of cheese ; the quantity exported for the year ending 31st March last being £98,000, as against £97,150 for the eorresponding period last year. Here were we in New Zealand with an area of 103,000 square miles, nearly seven millions of acres of which are grass sown, exporting cheese to the value of less than £IOO,OOO, while Switzerland, with an area cf 15,442 square miles, exported in 1890 cheese to the value of £1,500,000. As for our butter export, he was afraid the Victorians were outpacing us. He learnt that the Victorian Government bad engaged freight space for 3000 tons weight of butter for next season. New Zealand possessed natural advantages not enjoyed by any other country in the world, and should, therefore, successfully com. pete fora share of the dairy trade of the United Kingdom. It would scarcely be credited that at the present time the dairy industry, although in its infancy, produces more wealth to this Colony than the pro. auction of gold. The value of gold produced last year was £1,104,981 ; while the value of the dairy industry of New Zealand, on the basis of calculation in Hay tor's' year book for 1889-90 was as follows : Number of milch cows in New Zealand from la-t census return ... ... 206,906 Produce of milk, say 1 gallon per day ... ... ••• 75,520,690ga1s Milk consumed, f -pint per head per diem, 21,420,937ga15, 8.1 £714,031 Butter made fr0m40,775,030 gals, 2i gallons to 11b butter, equal to 16,310,012. 9d ... £6L1,625 Cheese made from 6,975,698ga15, 1 gallon milk to lib cheese, 6.975,693,41 £116,261 (This leaves 6,394,025ga1s cheese unaccounted for) Total £1,441,917 The dairy industry at the present rate of production therefore showed a balance of £337,936 for last yoar. What the refrigerating machines bad b3en to the meat industry the factory system must be to the dairy industry, and he strongly urged the Government and those interested to give more attention to the possibilities of the enormous trade that can bo secured for butter and cheese. He would quote a few figures to indicate the possibilities of an increased export : The imports of butter for the year ending 31st December, 1891, into the United Kingdon (as per Board of Trade X returns) were 2,135,687 cwt butter, value... ... ... £11,591,181 The imports of cheese for the same period (as per Board of Trade returns) were 2,041,317 cwt, value ... £4,815,369 Total £16,406,550 A very small proportion of this enormous value was imported from the Southern Hemisphere, for during the four mouths at Home the Australasias had a practical mo noDoly of a great portion ofj this trade,the trade of the winter months in England being worth nearly six millions sterling. Iu an English paper he recently r ead that “ had it not been for the arrivals of New Zealand and Australian butter, the market would have been almost in a famine condition.” The President proceeded to quote a para, graph from the ” Grocer ” newspaper, which said “ There is no denying that colonial butter is fast taking the place of Dutch kinds, as being not only better in quality, but cheaper la price, for whilst the former is derived from cows who e principal food is grass, the latter is the produce of animals which for months together are kept on artificial feeding stuffs, such as oilcake and other prepared io do .” When in Dunedin a fortnight ago he h a rued from a gentleman there of a ays'cm uuder which he was working a dairy fac oty in Dunedin. An estate of say 10,000 acres had been subdivided into 100 acre blocks ; each block is let to a man with a wife and family ; the estate also providing a house, farming utensils, and 60 cows. The milk was sold to the dairy factory, and the gross proceeds were divided, 50 per cent to the estate and 50 per cent to the tenant. His informant stated that under this system the tenant made £l5O per annum, in addition to free house, milk, butter, besides saving many other expenses incidental to town life. Instead of the Government giving so much attention to solving the unemployed difficulty, was it not practicable to place married unemployed men and their families on blocks of land suitable for dairy purposes, say, 80 to 100 men and their families on a dairy settlement of 10,000 aores, These

settlers cbuld be supplied with the material for dwellings and employed preparing the land j and as their labour would iudrease the value of the land, the Government should advance to each settler the current rate of wages for so doing as the work progressed. This, to an industrious man, would bo ample to keep him and his family. The Government should then supply him with materials for fencing, farming implements, and cows. The total estimated expenditure to be made by the Government, exclusive of the land, would bo under £7OO, for which the Government would have ample value. Upon this amount the tenant should pay the Government 5 or 6 per cent per annum, and the proceeds, after deducting interest, should be divided, one half in cash to the tenant, the other to go in liquidation of his debt upon the" land, stock, &o. It was estimated that the gross relurn from 50 cows would be £4OO per annum, and the interest on expenditure £35, leaving a balance for division of £365. The settler would therefore acquire the freehold of the laud, stock, &i., in about five years. Thus, if his estimates wore correct, to place 100 families on dairy laud it; would cost seventy to eighty thousand pounds, and this he considered a better way of assisting the dairy industry than paying an export bonus on butter as was done by the Victorian Government to the extent of £150,000. We should also have self supporting agricultural colleges, nud. frequent conferences of those ea aged in dairying, where papers could be read upon each branch of the industry ; and, finally, additional experts should be imported. Ho noticed from the New Zealand Times that the engagement of one of the New Zealand experts had expire!, and that he had himself entered upon the industry. Ho hoped he would Boon be replaced, as he was convinced from enquiry that 70 per cent of those engaged in making butter and cheeße know very little about it. He noticed that the Government were about to take steps for the erection of cool chambers, but this was certainly a beginning at the wrong end, and a usurpation of the functions cf the Harbour Board. He also thought that dairying experts Bhould have been invited to attend the conference of Agricultural and

Pastoral Associations at Christchurch. The Government had circulated some 3200 copies of the report of the Parliamentary Committee which sat in 1890 on ths subject of dairying, but the number wai quits inadequate ; 10,000 copies should have been struck off. BILL3 OF LADING. After mentioning that the Chamber had urged the Government 12 months ago to provide for an equitable bill of lading, the form at present used giving the shipping companies absolute immunity from any claim for damaged cargo, the President said he was pleased to report that the London Chamber of Commerce and shippers had had a conference upon this question, and the increased liability of shipper! and decreased liability of shipowners in connection with the Australian bill of lading. It was to be hoped that a conference between that Chamber and the shipowners would be arranged, and that an equitable document might be the outcome. PCS PAL -TAXATION. After referring to the approaching Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the Empire, and the proposal to discuss thereat the question of a closer commercial union between the Mother Country and her colonies and dependencies, the President said ho did not regret that the proposed redaction in postal rates had not come into force on the let April. If there was a necessity for any reduction in the taxation it should take a different form, and he would not be surprised to find that the duties npon certain necessaries of life were reduced during the coming session, FRUIT INDUSTRY. Having mentioned that the proposed alteration of the Chamber’s by laws wo;Id be considered at tho next meeting of the Council, Mr Gale said that on a future occasion he would have something to say upon the subject of the fruit industry. In the meantime he drew attention to the wonder ful progress made in the export of fruit from Tasmania to London. During their visits to Hobart thi3 season the mal steamers of both the P. and O. and Orient lines had secured largo cargoes of fruit, ranging from 2800 to 24,000 cases, three vessels having taken upwards of 20,000 cases each. In all nearly 116,000 cases of fruit had been tak-:n by these two lines. Some other large ship-

ments, such as 31,000 oases by the s.s. Klderslle, 20,000 by the s.s. Port Pirie, 14,000 by the s.s. Port Victor, and smaller consignments, brought this year’s exports of fruit from Hobart to juondon to upwards of 170,000 cases. As showing the growth of the trade, it might be mentioned that three years since the import of apples into England from Hobart was some 30,000 bushels ; in the year following (1890) the figures had risen to 40,000. Last year the importation rose to 140,000 bushels, and this yoir it wa3 over 170,000. It was eetimated in Hobart that next year’s total would be close on 300,000 cases. UNION INSURANCE COMPANY. Reference was then made to the fact that a very large and powerful assurance association, viz., the Alliance Company, had purchased the business of the Union Insurance Company of New Zealand, and Mr Gale said the Colony was to be congratulated upon its trade tempting such a company to open business in our midst. The directors and shareholders of the Union Fire and Marine Insurance Company were also to be complimented on having conducted their company’s business in such a mannei as to attract the company he had referred to. _ In these times of diseussion upon the withdrawal’of capital from the Colony, it might ba noted that the shareholders of the Union Insurance Company would receive close upon £200,000 of English money. RESOLUTIONS. The President concluded by moving—(l.) “ That in view of the slow progress made in the dairy trade of New Zealand, as contrasted with other colonies, and the great advantages which the Colony pos. sesses as a grazing country, and the enormous openings which exist iu England for the sale of butter and cheese, this Chamber is of opinion that the Government should make strenuous efforts to encourage the industry, and would be justified in expending considerable sums of monoy with thl3 object.” (2.) “ That in pursuance of the objects of the foregoing resolution the Government be urged to call a meeting of all persons interested in the dairy industry to consider

what steps should be taken for the promotion and extension of the trade.” DISCUSSION. Mr Duncan did not think anyone would hesitate for a moment in assisting to pass the resolutions which the President had moved. Anything done to further the fruit and dairy industries would be of great advantage to tho Colony. From being himself concerned in the butter and cheese export trade he knew that whereas Canadian butter had formerly been moss in request on the London market it was now quoted at 52s per cwt, while New Zealand butter was fetohiug 56a per cwt, while New Zealand cheese was holding its own against the Normandy-and Dutch varieties, which wore always reokoiied to ba of the very best quality. While seconding the resolutions he did not know that he could follow Mr Gale iuto the scheme he had suggested, of the Government providing cows, land and appliances for the farmer to Btart his dairying operations. This came upon him with somewhat of a shock. Mr Gale had always been regarded ao a Conservative, but what he bad just advooated was nothing more nor less than State Socialism. Mr J. H. Cock also thanked the President for hia able and interesting address. With respect to the President’s reference to the desirability of cool chambers being provided by the Harbour Board, ho might say that there was already a cool chamber in the cellar of the Harbour Beard building, and that the question of obtaining refrigerating machinery had also been slightly considered, but no action had yet been taken in that direction. He hoped it was not true that the Government did not propose to introduce a Bankruptcy .Bill this seesion. The business men throughout the Colony, as well as the various Chambers of Commerce, bad given the subject very great attention, and the result of their deliberations was embodied in tho Bill which was unfortunately lost in Parliament last session. He earnestly trusted the Biil would be re-introduced, so that these labours might not be altogether fiuitleas. The President, in reply, said ho did not care whether or not his scheme were termed State Socialism, feeling satisfied as he did , that it would be conducive to the best inf.ersfits of the Colony. If it proved effective in ra sing our export of dairy l

products to a value of something like two or three millions sterling per annum, Mr Duncan and others like him would be glad enough to take advantage of it, whatever its Socialistic tendencies might be. He was pleased to hear from Mr Cock that the Harbour Board had had under its consideration the question of providing improved storage for the shipment of dairy produce, and he hoped it would take action in this direction, 33 it was properly its business to do so. The resolutions were then unanimously agreed to. THE BANKRUPTCY BILL. Mr J. G. W. Aitken moved, “That a deputation be appointed to wait upon the Minister of Justice to urge that tho Bankruptcy Bill which was brought before tho House last year should again be introduced as early as possible in tho approaching session, and that the Government should use every effort to get it passed into law without further delay; that the Chambers of Commerce throughout the Colony be appealed to to Bupport the action of this Chamber in reference to tbe Bankruptcy Act; the deputation to consist of the President, Mr Cock, Mr Duncan, Mr Aitken, and Mr Tustin.” As Mr Cock had stated, the commercial community of New Zealand.had bestowed a very great deal of oare and attention upon the Bill which was before Parliament last session, acd he also understood that the District Judges and the various Official Assignees throughout the Colong h3d given the benefit of their skilled knowledge. In fact there was a consensus of expert opinion obtained which went iu the direction of rendering it as good a measure as possible. Under these circumstances it would bo a great pity if all these labours were to go for nothing. He was very much astonished to hi ar that the Government were going to shirk such very necessary legislation. Unless they made a noise on the matter they might not obtain what they wanted. As the iaw stood at present it actually protected the meu who had no consciences, and who desired to act in a dishonest way. Instances had again and again come before them of men taking advantage of the Act and getting through without losing a single hair. Men who had no right to get through had escaped with impunity by moans of it. Mr W. G. Tustin seconded the motion. The bankruptcy law at present was simply a screen for rogues and for the robbery of honest men. He trusted every effort would be made to force the Government into tho position of bringing a decent and respectable Bill before the House next session. The President did not think there could be two opinions a 3 to the necessity for an alteration of the bankruptcy law. The experience of last year and part of this year proved this. Men had been proved to have done wrong, and 3’et they could not be held to account. lie had been told by legal gentlemen lhat under the present bankruptcy law it was impossible to draw a warrant whioh would hold a man, no matter what his offence might ha.ve been. The motion was passed unanimously. RECEPTION OF THE GOVERNOR. Mr Cock thought the Chamber should take part as a body iu the reception of the new Governor. In the course of a brief discussion it was explained that the Mayor had the matter in hand, and it was tacitly agreed to leave it in his hands, the suggestion being made that he should call a meeting of citizens. On the motion of Mr J. Dransfield a vote of thanks was passed to the President, and the meeting then closed.