CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4319, 30 March 1901, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

ANNUAL MEETING. THE PRESIDENT’S REVIEW OF THE YEAR’S TRADE. The annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was held Tester, day afternoon. , The president (Hr Nicholas Reid), in moving the. adoption of the report and statement of accounts.* said ; —lt is‘with more than ordinary satisfaction that the council of this Chamber again welcomes the members in annual meeting, and submits an account of its stewardship during its year of office. The grounds of this satisactiou are, on the onG hand, the numerous oases iu which measures or actions which have been advocated by the Chamber have either been put iu the way to accomplishment, or, at all events, liave received public rol cognition as things ; that, should, t and mush bo done; while, on the,other hand, it is our privilege to place *on record our opinion that the state of - tho colony is one of such- general prosperity and well-being as is probably unprecedented in the history of New Zealand., . ■' NEW MEASURES. 1 Among the measures which the Chamber has 1 for years strenuously advocated, and which have at last. received due recognition, I may mention penny postage; more speedy prosecution ,of the S North Island Trunk Railway and the ad. herence to the rout© originally adopted by Parliament; the improvement of the line from Wellington to the Hutt; the acquisition by the colony of the Manawatu Railway; the erection of a new Magistrate’s Court and the devotion of the present building to the sole use of the Supreme Court; increased accommodation for the Post Office, Telegraph Office and: tho Customhouse; the Pacific cable; uniform provision for the defence of the Colony; improved mail arrangements for communication with the United Kingdom; the abolition of trading stamps and other matters of less importance. It is not for a moment suggested that all these works have been taken up because they were advocated by the Chamber, but it :.s quite fair and reasonable to claim that the present recognition of their importance and necessity justifies all that the" Chamber has done or said in the past on their behalf. I may go further aud claim that if these works are necessary and important now, several of them have been -necessary and important for many years past, and that if the recommendation of the Chamber had been and acted upon years ago, the. country and the comm unity would have escaped’ a' vast amount of inconvenience, __ discomfort and actual loss. As to several of these measures, it must be admitted that* they have scarcely passed the"; stage of “ recognition,” and it will behove the council who may be elected to-day to watch their further treatment/ and do whatever can be done to keep them prominently in view. Before referring to tho condition _of the colony, I, may. also be permitted l to congratulate you that you are still allowed to regulate the Chamber’s affairs according to your own judgment without outside interference, (Hear, hear.) I. may also allude with satisfaction to tho prospect of a confederation of the Chambers of Commerce of the_ colony for mutual help and oominon defence, andi I hope that ray successor in this chair may bo able this time. next year to report the successful accomplishment of this scheme. THE STATE OP TRADE.

. I' will now make a few remarks on the mercantile and industrial condition of .tiie colony, and here again I think that a tone of congratulation is quite legiti. mate. I do not propose to weary you with lengthy statistics; when our report is issued it will ho accompanied by statistical tables, which you may find''interesting. I would, however, point out that the total value: of our exports for the year ending SGth September last—the true wool • year—constitutes ar record for the colony, amounting as it does to no less than £13,661,220. It may be considered, and, i think, ..with, justice, that this total may well'he ; reduced .Jby an abiount equal to the depreciation iu the value of wool subsequent to. ship, ment. It is impossible to measure this depreciation' with any pretence to •. exactitude, but I think we may estimate it roughly at ahput £700,G00., the .deduction of which will bring the 1 total to £12,961,000, an amount still farcin excess of that of ■ any ’ previotfs . year. The increase upon' the preceding twelve months is about £1,832,000,, or. between J® 17 per cent. Or this' increase Wellington is able to claim,a very respectable proportion. Our total increase, apart from specie, is £650,000, but if a proportionate allowance be made for over-valuation of wool; the im provement is still about £500,000, or about 29 per cent.' above that of the previous, year. All the chief classes of exports, frozen , meat, . butter and cheese, hemp, tallow, etc., show substantial l increase, that of hemp alone being £160,000. The principal industries of the southern ports of the North Island /(Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki) are those connected with, pastoral, pursuits, ; and-'these, in spite of the low prices ruling foj; wool, are in a flourishing and ous condition. The increased value, of the carcase more than compensates .the ! grower for the reduced value, of the fleece, and the steady expansion of the dairy trade, fa bringing prosperity to a very large number of.industrious set-, tiers. The values of good grazing lands, as well as of our flocks and ■ herds, have risen substantially during the last few, years, thus placing a good proportion of our settlers in circumstances of soundness and comfort, if not of comparative affluence. The extension and improvement of railway, communication with the interior, and the increase of closer’ settlement, will all help to continue and intensify these satisfactory conditions, and I think we may look forward with confidence tc the future of this district and of the colony as a whole; I may point out that, opart from specie, the . exports of last year show a surplus over imports of more than £3,300,000, a sun; I which is no doubt quite sufficient- to I meet all the interest claims against j the colony, public and private. . j

THE DECIMAL SYSTEM; i One of the subjects discussed a,t the I recent Conference of British Chambers I of Commerce , : in London was the adop-1 tion of the decimal System, and a re-1 solution was carried urging upon the ' Imperial' Government that the metric system of weights and measures should be legalised in all parts of the Empire, except India, and after a period of tiro years be rendered compulsory by Act i or Ordinance, and that meanwhile the. system should be thoroughly taught in : all public elementary schools as 'a ne- i ccssary branch of arithmetic. This re- ! form was ably 'advocated by vonr • re- ! !presoutative, Mr Joseph Nathan, hnt> | I fear that the prospects of its adop- i tion by the British nation are : by "no ; means near. To me it is amazing that ■ the foremost commercial nation in the ! world is so slow to adopt a system which : has been -approved, and to a greater \ of less extent accepted, by every other j nation in Europe,, and by many conn- ; tries in'other parts of the world. T ■' may add that'Russia. has',’within a very ; recent date, ■ tafeatt up : the metrio* sjs- i

tern; and that an agitation is now going on in America to do away with the system they now have, and adopt the metric system in use in France, as : it will ho far easier for travellers from America going into European countries 1 to do business on the system prevailing in Europe. This Chamber in the year 1881 pressed upon tho Governmeat of the day the desirableness of introducing a decimal system of weights and measures, and suggested to the j colonial Government topave the way by the adoption of the cental or 1001 b as the unit of weight in three branches of. public work—namely, in Customs du-i tics, in Government contracts and in railway freights. I trust tho Chamber will again take this matter up. I am convinced Drat the decimal system', or even tho complete metric system, if desired, apart from currency,'could be brought into use with far less difficulty in New Zealand than in tho United Kingdom. And when I consider the time that Would be saved for more useful subjects !in the education of every child in tho colony, tho simplification that would ensue in the work of every mercantile firm, and the improved facilities that would he given for trade with the rest of tho world, I am strongly* impressed with tho importance of this question. New’ Zealand has established a reputation of late years for progressive legislation. Here is a reform well worthy of our best efforts, the accomplishment of which would materially strengthen tho claims of the colony to general respect. I bag to move the adoption of the report and statement of accounts. (Applause.) ~ Mr DrrJ. Nathan, who seconded tho motion, joined with the:chairman in his congratulations upon tho great improvement in the condition of the colony. He thought the improvement we had seen in the past would be as frothing to what would he seen in'the future. In regard to the North Island Trunk Railway, they wore indebted to the) Mayor of this town for tho agitation for the opening up of this line; and' thel result of tho agitation, both in Wellington and in Auckland, had awakened not only Wellington, hut all the settlers along the line), to the importance of completing the work at the earliest possible moment. No fault was to be found wdth tho progress now T being made. (Mr Duthie; “Question.”) Sir Duthie had called “question,” arid it must remain a question, hut the information received by the Railway League that under the circumstances, it was almost impossible to proceed with the line at a more rapid rate than at present. There was another very large block of country which required to be opened up—that on tho line between Pahiatua and Alritio. He suggested that the efforts of the Cham- ■ beri should' ho' directed to assisting the Minister in getting from. Parliament such a sum of money as is needed to complete the roads in the country districts. With reference to the Mauawatu Railway, the chairman of the company would no doubt at the annual meeting give the history of the negotiations with the Government., On the subject of the Rimutaka deviation, he said he thought it would be inadvisable to spend any more money on the Rimutaka line if the Government bought the Manawatu line, because the bulk of the goods would be' sent down by the Manawatu line, which hjad! easier grades. Mr Nathan spoke of the proposed federation of tho Chambers of Commerce as a matter for congratulation, and suggested that they should ask such bodies as the Employers’ Association and the Industrial Association to throw in their lob with the Chamber of Commerce, which might then...go..to work on the linos of the .British Chamber, under the altered title of “Chamber of Commerce and Industries.” ' He drew attention also to the necessity for the Government inspect on of the weights of butter and cheese for export. Mr Nathan returned thanks on i behalf of his father, who was chosen as j representative of the Wellington Cham- * her . in tho congress of Chambdrs of Com- | merce of the British Empire. I Mr John Duthie said he, was not very much given to congratulation, audl to call things satisfactory when things were wrong. He did not think they were likely to; enhance the progress of the North Island Trunk line by .cloaking over the details, and saying that every energy bad been exercised in the prosecution of the work. Repeated: promises had been made as to the completion of this lino, and 't was still far from complete. They had had it from-Mr Brown that the Makohine viaduct had cost £42,000 more than a contractor in the South would ham been able to build it for, and he would have, had it completed three years age. Now it was to be completed in a year; and last year they were also tohl rh-it it would he completed in a year. Money had been wasted upon lines of railway beyond it which could not be used, and in this town buildings had! to he stayed up because there was no timber coming to hand, though there was plenty of timber in the country. The Government was not to be flattered into doing anything; they had to be exposed, and the object of the Chamber was to throw light upon public questions, and subject them to free criticism. As to the v.'aduct lower down, he hoped that toe information, received ■ by the Chamber, that the materials wore ready, was reliable. These two viaducts were most important for the trade of Wellington; and he claimed that there ■ was no reason to.pat the Gov'ernment upon the back, and say that' they were using every energy. " he Chamber had to’ fight_ for its hand in these matters. Speaking of the Chambers of Commerce Bill, Mr Duthie denounced it as a measure intended to suppress free speech in this colony; and he contended that if Bills of.this kind were to be introduced, the) country had surely lost . its status if there was nos that aniouht of manly independence in the country which should resist such legislation. People in London were aghast to find such an attempt made in this colony. In view of this Bill, he) commented adversely on a passage in the report stating that the council had “ventured to represent” to the Government what is necessary in regard to the mail services, urging that they should take a more independent stand than that. In regard to the suggestion of Mr Reid, at the Christchurch congress, that the Government should be urged to have goods distributed over New Zealand at one uniform rate, Mr Duthie protested against such a principle. This port, he said, was suffering from this principle more than from anything else. (Hear, hear.)'Wo had spent money largely in this, port, and had ’ afforded more accommodation than in. any port in the world,: perhaps, for ships coming in and going out. Wo were lightly taxed, whereas in Otago, where they had built a breakwater half-way across to. South America, tho taxation was heavy and the dues; excessive, as compared with those i levied against ships in Wellington. Yet I Wellington received no benefit from the | shinping ;companies; slid the reasoh ; why a -highpr charge was not ■ levied | here was that tho tonnage'dues upon i goods were borne by the trading com.; nvuuity. Mr Duthie condemned tho! present haphazard system of mail services, and .said that more riaergetic | measures ought to be urged upon the! Government. If the Union Company, j in buying into the Vancouver service.! intended to {establish commtmication !. with .New Zealand, they ought to receive, every assistance. 'He suggested that communication might be established by way. of Fiji, Wellington being '

mark' the port of cal l , and the steam., ci’s then going, on to Lyttelton anti Drnediu. Speaking of tlm pillaging of cargo. Mr Duthie related an amusing; experience of his London visit, showing the manner in which two detectives set. about inquiring into a case of plunder, and after having been on the task for about a fortnight, did not knot" what class of goods the package contained, or what were the marks on the package. Ho thought mercantile men ought to stir up the shipping companies to take an active interest in protect-, ina good? from pillage. The President, in reply to Mr Duthic’s remarks concerning the Mangawcka. ravine work, said the information they : had received on that subject was obtained from first hand. Mr Duthie: Who is that? The President : Tiro, Hon. Mr H'allJcncs. Mr Duthie was understood to say •that’tho same information was given every four years. Tho President,-speaking of tiro uniform rate question, nointed out that the''rate froin San FranciSco to Sydney was from 25s to 30s, to Melbourne 40s, to Auckland 40s. and to Wellington. Lyttelton and Dunedin 52s 6d. Ho thought, therefore, that a uniform rate of 40s would be preferable. Mr Duthie said he spoke of the shipping companies. ■ The President said it. was impossible for tho shipping companies to carry freight upon any other condition. Tho principal steamers charged freight for Auckland and the: other ports upon the same rale as for Wellington; and if they altered this, they would have 'logrolling going on to have Auckland made the first port of call, and Dunedin would; try to get the first port of call, while, if other ports were made the first port of call, they would have to' pay a higher rate of freight for Wellington for these steamers; and ho did not see anything but this uniform rare. It would lead to endless confusion if they levied differential rates. The report and statement of accounts wore adopted. Mr James McLellan thought that' if the. slopping companies could do nothing to reduce the rates, it might ho wise to ask rho Harbour Board to do something. There; was no reason why the Harbour Board should not adopt tho principle which the shipping companies had laid down.. The Wellington harbour was tho premier port, not only in Now Zealand.' but he thought in Austrf.iaf.ia. but tho people of Wellington—that is to say, the and the'consumers—'reaped very little benefit from the cheapness of the rates. The shipping companies reaped tho benefit accrued from the large expenditure of money undertaken bv tho citizens to make the port of Wellington what it is tnMny. Therefore he urged that tho Hhrbcnr Board should charge the same rate:; all through, tho colony. A ship did not come to a port because it was free, but because she had cargo for tho port, cr would get cargo there.

Mr Duthio said there would ho an oppcrtunity. before long of having this matter re-cast.

The following were elected the coun-cil:--Messrs N. Reid, E. G. E. .Mills, H. Beauchamp. J- Duthie; D. Nathan, J. McLellan, John Duncan, D. Jones, J. P. Maxwell. J, G. W. Aitken. T. J. W. Gale J. H. N. A. Burncs. Mean*' Po'-les and Haybittlo were re-elected auditors, and were given a hearty vote of thanks, . . On the motion of Mr Duthie, u vote of thanks'.' was returned by acclamation to Mr Reid, the retiring president, for his, work during thel year, and the meeting closed. : . r v. The President of tho Chamber of Commerce is to he appointed by the Council.