CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12306, 28 November 1925, Page 4

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

BRITISH CAPITAL FOR N.Z.

TARIFF RECIPROCITY WITH AUSTRALIA IMPORTANT REMITS Per Press Association. . DUNEDIN, November 27. At the Chamber of Comineroe Conference a remit was carried that the 'Minister for Customs be urged to continue his efforts towards more satisfactory tariff arrangements between New Zealand and Australia, The necessity of introducing British capital into New Zealand to develop industries was stressed by Mr Leigh Hunt, in moving the Wellington remit: “That special measures bo taken to impress on British capitalists Dominion potentialities with n view t<* inducing their active participation in working undeveloped resources and the institution and expansion of industries.” Mr Hunt said that a great deal of second-class land could he developed for closer settlement, while minerals had not, been properly developed, and the fishing industry in Ross Sea, where whaling might be taken in hand by New Zealand whalerß. If British capital were not obtained; for New Zealand American capital would come. The re- 1 mit was adopted. Remits were passed appreciative of the now spirit of public service displayed by the Railway Department, particularly the commercial section, also urging the department to experiment with a night, train Befvlce between Christchurch and Dunedin during the Exhibition. ■' ■ < . The conference rejected a remit asking that differing rates between Imported goods and New Zealand produce transported over the railways _he abolished, any penalty imposed being by an import duty.

OTHER RESOLUTIONS The Chambers of Commerce Conference oonoluded to-day. The, following resolutions were carried:— This conference affirms the vital necessity to New Zealand of the protection and maintenance of trade routes, and urges the Government to provide a more adequate contribution towards the cast of the Empire’s navtildefence. The-conference views with misgiving the proposal to institute compulsory control and marketing of daily produce from August Ist, 1926, under the powers given by the Government to the Dairy Control Board. ’lt is hoped that the powers given to the Dairy and Meat, Control . Boards for compulsory marketing will be repealed. That the conference recommends all 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. That the conference urges upon com ponies and others having money to lend again to consider favourably first mortgage investments on farm lands, and help the farmers in the great difficulty. experienced .in arranging fin ance. « That the conference expresses alarm at the large and ever-increasing indebtedness of local bodies throughout the Dominion, and that the Government be urged to inquire into the matter, with d view to checking unnecessary borrowing.

LOCAL BODY TRADING That in the opinion of this conference the time has arrived to define legitimate local body trading, with p view to its proper limitation by legislation, and in order' to prevent public bodies competing unfairly with their own ratepayers, as follows: It is recognised that all general utility supplies to the public, such as electricity/, water, tramways, drainage, etc., which it is unwise to leave in the hands of private enterprise, and the profits from which rightly belong to the ratepayers and consumers or persons supplied, should be controlled by publio bodies, but beyond these it is deemed inadvisable for public bodies to embark on enterprises which compete with legitimate trading. BASIC WAGE FORMULA That this conference again protests against the retention of the formula now in use for the determination of a basic wage as being admittedly inapplicable to the circumstances of only onetenth of the wage-earners of 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 actual conditions. That the executive take the necessary steps to have representatives of importers and exporters of non-refrig-erated cargo associated with the Meat and Dairy Produce Boards when arranging annual contracts for the carriage of overseas goods to the United Kingdom.

CONFERENCE IN WELLINGTON The election of officers resulted; President, Mr A. H. Mackrell (Invercargill); vice-presrident, Mr W, Machin (Canterbury); committee, Messrs A. McKenzie ana J. R. Simpson (Wellington), J. B. Richards (Stratford), P. Barr (Dunedin) and A. /A. Martin (Auckland). The next - conference will be held in Wellington on a date to he fixed by the exeoutive.-