DUNEDIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12395, 3 July 1902, Page 2

DUNEDIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The. monthly meeting of the Dr.nediii Chamber of Commerce was hold yesterday afternoon, and attended In- Moan 0. W. • Kattray (in the .chair), H. Sslmou, »T, Molocsy, fi. Roberts, 1!. XI. Clark, C. P. M. Buttomorth, ami the Hon. T. Fergus. A letter was received from the Canterbury Clumber stating that the Ditnedin Chamber's letter with reference to the difficulty in making good claims against shipping companies for cargo destroyed hart been referred to the Importers' Sectional • Committee. ■ . With reference to the correspondence between the dilfeie'it chambers as to the . adoptibn of the metric system, a resolution was received from the Auckland Chamber • supporting tiie proposal of the Waikato Farmers' Club that all produce Ire Sold by the 1001b, as calculated to facilitate business. The Secretary reported that as the reeulfc of the chamber's letter to the Minister of Trade and Customs with reference to the duty charged'on inland'carriage to'foreign ports, tho Collector'of Customs bad discussed the matter with him, and pointed out thai; the charge wf3 founded'on sections 39 of " The Customs Act, 1852," which provided that, in imposing duty, "tho Value shall lw'underitood to be a fair' market,' value thereof in the principal markets'of 'the " country whence tho goods are exported '■'; and alrn'tliat the department looked on tho charge as one fair to the small importers, who were iint in a position to buy at tho factories inland.—lt was resolved to pass on . the information obtained to Mr H. C. .Campbell, who bad originally drawn the chambor's attention to tho nmttcr/alVd in- * forin him thoro was no likelihood of. any alteration being made. Copies were laid on the (able of letters ■ received in Wcllineton by tho secretary of ■ tho Conference of Chambers. The first*was from the chpirnMn of a meeting of bank ' officials stating that tho bmks would agrpo to tno suggestion of the Chambers, of- Conu mcrce to abolifh Siints' days, Whit Monday, May 24. and the days following Boxing Day and Jinster Monday as holidays, and proposed to add Mio Prince of Wales's Birthday: but that they could not adopt any hard-and-fast rule as to oponing for a short timo on rare days.—Tho secretary ■ was instructed to congratulate the secretary ' of the conference on the successful outcome of the action taken, in this mattef, and to suggest that steps be taken to- bring tho 1 matter before Parliament,at an c.afly date. ' A letter' was received .from the AiiiitriiV' ■asia'n Chamber in London Sating that, a)-' •though the utmost endeavours' were,' being madei to bring, about a reduction of tho • excessive charges for warehousing wool in . London, so far there had beon no iiuccoss;. the only remedy apjwared to bo competition, which did not now exist. Tho Town Clerk, Hokilika, wrote with reference to (ho time .occupied by the Wpst Coa=t-Christclu:rcli mail and passenger service.—The secretary was instructed .to reply . intimating that; tho chamber would 'mipnorfc ; the 'suggestion made for shortening tho timo ■ occlipicd. A letter was received urging that tho chamber endeavour- to get tho Homo : . cargo steamers again broqght lip to tho Duncdin wharves.— It was resolved to reply thnt the oommittce had been and was continuing to bring prwurc to bear upon tho drippingcompanies in the direction indicated. ; The annual meeting of .the chamber m fixed for Friday, August 1.