CHAMBER Of COMMERCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13985, 19 August 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAMBER Of COMMERCE

The following arc some of tho clauses in tlio antliial repbft of llie Chiuiiber of Commferbfi:— .Fihiiried.—Thb acctihipdnyihe; -Bfatenient bf receipts arid expenditure shows a further increase of £26 0s Id in tho. cha.mber> finarides~viz., from a surplus of £298,.18s 9cl at tlio beeinriihg of tile year to £554 18s lOd. The committed lia's theMfbrS ad<led £50 to tho fixed deposits, bringing them up to £300. It should bo noted, however,, that owlhg td the (ltcroaee in tiibiiibershili tlio iheohle' is £16 9s less thai! Uiit of tlic firfcvibtis year. Railage of Shel'iJ:—Tho attcntiotl of your committee) tvas ilfawii to. i letter addfessbtl lo the Minister" .of. RkU*ajs iil October last by Mr W.'.C. tiilcliananj iifgirig fciie im)>oHiUicD bf altering the present metiib'd bf bandliiil; sheep forwarded by rail; aild pointing out that great saving iii, extjbristi and avoidance' ,6f iUfriagb wKlell wbulcl bb dffebted if Mid bf triickS y> : Oro - bporicbl and thb whole train loaded at dnco by placing tbb tifid alongside the loadiriir platfbrm. Tlio cbiiimittete looked iipon Ihb hintter.aa one of bohsideja'bie iniporrancOj and requested all the Qtago. ihotnbors to,,tiiu.ko inquiries regarding it, and lend their sitpport ,to the expenditure involved if opportunity offered. To its regret;,Jibwev.br, a...reply was received from tlio Hop; J;.A. Sfillar boveririg a letter frbiri the Minister .of Railways to .the effect that in vieiy of tho divided .opinions .of .farmers and tlio lhi-gb expenditure iiivoivcd lie could not sec his ivay to adbpt_the suggestion. ... ' Gprioral.—Tlie annual presehta-iibh... of gold medals Jo ~tlio Qtago Boys'. High School for English ami arithmetic .was biitdo by tho president, tb .the —viz., in the tipper School, F.,8. Adams; in' Hid Lower School,'J, B, Mawsoii,

ANNuAfj iiEE ; I!fiS!G. . ..Tji6_ ahmial meeting of ilie Dunedin Cnariiber of .Commerce .was field oil the 2nd ih'sl., Mr .1; W, Heiit'on, president, wSS iii .the eliitir, arid there were nearly 20 irietnliers preaerit.

.„• ,The PnESmESTIs Addrf.ss... ... , Chairrnan's specfcli con'ta-ihejl the followirii rcfbreiiees to, tlio' province arid Dliheclin:— '.. ,

Trade.. , . .. . ; THid& (faring.the: year, 1 think J.affl right . in saying, lias been distinctly gbe'd. Excellent, prices have been .obtained for nearly (ill our,products, especially bo in the ease of wool. Our bankruptcy figures ehpft': — For the year ending, December 31, .1505, 48; for 31, 1905, 52— a slight increase. _TfM<>,, engagements liilvc b'ee'ii fairly well filet. ' forecasting is .proverbially dangerous, but the outlook.for thjb eonimg year would seem to bo cheerful. Prices for our, products are- beitig well taairitairied, and a. study Pf tn'b leading markets' sbeiiis to point to . a steady and increasing flefh'tlntl. Tliero is no. of a slumbbeih'g likely to tike place. \\b havo had, and are Having, fairly, prosperous times'; iiiiil the result is. that the vajiic of land lias, advanced steadily, and the demand is , far .more tlidii tlio. slipply: . Just here { hiily Be allowed to drop a word of caution. It must hot be fbrgoWelr that tlio ihei'eas? > in dur expo'rts is, mainly dno _pf value; 'and ! hot of quantity—that' is; our production jiiis hot increased in tlio sitihe ratio a? the yaltiei.-C-b that if .our hlitrlcets failed through any international troubles of, any ottiof cause we. might happen on troublous times, go tliat it behoves lis as business mfcij to. proceed oh safe and cautious ,lilies. J wish lioiv, gentlemen, iV refer as briefly as may be to what, particularly interests.us as a Chamber of, Ooiiimeree—the trade of pur Pdft df Duhectih. I.do not.probbs'e to Seal more than, I .can help,.with figures, bill Where' given they «Vre official and made tin fbih'o latest available date.' . Tlio itnncjfts for the ..year ending DoccniMr 31, 1905, Were MfitiMi for the year feridiTH? December 31; ■ 1&I35, tHoy were £2.358,176-—dn iricVakc of £273.474. | Ohr.cjppris for. tlio same comparative periods wCrei-Fdr tfic year. iSdS, £1,795(455;- for t]ic i-edr 1906, £1,863,246 ;— an increase b'f £72,791. Butter. Tho quite liniisiial .drought tliat we have beb'ii sutTering ffoni for more tlliiti a year jibwlia-s had a marked effect on tho, production, and has caused anxiety to daifyinfeti riiiinUfacturcf alike. I itin advised that if ecitsdiiaLle faiiis cdhie dlifing the hext month tho position may be saved; if not,. then tlio prospects for next season will hot bb cheerful. The coihuatativc exhorts of butter for 1906. and 1907. (to I March 31) are as follow:—1906, 28,989cwt, lof the value of £i 33,418; 1907, 16,388bwt, of the value of £84,544:— decree' inwbigiit of 12,601cwtj arid in value ot £48,864. Wool. Sitles opened lii Dunodlii mi December 20 to a large and representative gfctlierinir of.buyers; Values, its compared with those ruling the previous year; opened oh average lid to lfd per lb higher. This advaiied was riot altogether maintained lit the secPiid sale, • when (ho dentah'd for qualities wits hot so, keen. Choicest sorts wero, on .tile bthet hand; in great request at the highest prices of the season. The Ameficahs.wcre again _ strong competitors for all suitable qualities, and as Ot-ago wool's afe pirtibiilarly adapted for that trade, it is satiftfactory to note that the . nurrfber of American buyers is increasing . year byyear. -. ... ' Exports from Port of Otago: , ' . .. .„.. Bales'. For 12 months ended June 30, 1.906 35;867 ~ .. „, i, 1907 33,872 Local salc3, Diinbdin: , , • , ..• Sales. For 12 months ended Jurio 30, 1906 29,643 „ 1907 -30,142 Difference in favour of last 12 inbhths ... ... 499 It will interest the .Chamber to be advised that l-lio i9d6-.1G07 dip realised on an average 30s per balo more than tlio pfevidus clip. Frozen Meat; The exports for the past two years have been about the same in value; ' The figures are:.. 1905 .:. £146;063 1907 ..,-■ £146,292 Grain; ~ Thc_ produce trade of Dunedin has been conditioned by the lower crop yields of last harvdst. In wheat, both acreage aiid yield have, been light. -In oats .arid barley; acreage lias been average, but the yield light. In wheat, our district has grown. oHcseventh of the colony's wheat yield-. , In bats, Otago has grown lees than Canterbury for tho, last two harvests. . No ,doubt the drought, lias helped, to bring this about. It would seciri that Canterbury farmers, .are finding oats a more profitable crop : than tvhc&t.. No doubt this is specially so ivheri drought conditions cause shortage of feed. . Thc_ Government figures for wheat show in cstilriafcd stifpliis beVbnd consumption aiid seed of only 690,0&0".bii3h0!5.. This may ho looked ujion as practically equivalent to a .deficit, and considerable impb'rtittiohs of wheat and flciur may lib looked tor liefdfc Ijlc advent of the hew crop. , Oats have been already imported frbin Yictoriit arid Tdsinnriia to tlie North Isl.itid; and shipments ate iiteo on the way froiii Canada: It 'is a divided iiov«lt> t'b 'see oats lieiiie; imported into Now Zealand in quantity fbt horse feed from so ninny quarters. It must_ he confessed iliat tho continued drought in' parts of Otago arid Canterbury fe . sufficient to cafco some anxiety akotlt the future of feed for Mock, besides being 4 hindrdncb to ploughing and sowing both of pastnra.se and, grain afeaS for next season, but with generous and not too heavy rains in August a reasonable area of seeding may yet bo got ih and the disaster of another short harvest niay yet be osbaped. , Mining.. Dredging, for gold still. seems tlie nibst important branch.of mining in this, proviiice, but thero has, been a gradual.decrease noticeable in the number of dredges eiiiplbyed. Tlio reduction has now, howover reached a. point at, which it may be expected to cease, as an equal nhmber of hew ventures.are taking tho places of those claims which are being. worked but. fenerichcbd.drbdgemen are of opinion tliat with.more powerful machines rich fet.iirns can bd got froiii many areas on thb Mbly- , neux which are supposed to have been exhausted. Tlio machines - buiit during boom time were almost without exception , too weak, aiid consequently not able to break into the hard cehient of fit lo treat tho rougher groUriil. " The increased area • of claims, froni one. mile, to three. mites was a. move ih the right directib.ii; but to induce, the cphslfnctioh of a few large 1 powerful machines areas bf.not less than 10 miles are nectary. Capitalists would then, feel justified in incurring the cost of biiiidirig strohgdf dredges if they .we're [ assured of suffieiehtly large holdings. ! Snheelitb is being profitably mined at ! Macraes and Glenorchy. while aiiiiin'ony > lodes afe being teste<l ih other parts of f the province. QuaHz mihiiig does riot ■ npiieat- to be making much progress, biit ' many lodes are known IKat wfilild pay *e!l 1 if Sufficient, capitlil was fortheprriing .to i ensiire a fair teSt. The recent formation i of iiii asso'cintioh «t Clyde tP prospect In 1 Central Ota.go for mineral deposits will, i it is hbped, have gobd results. . Our exports of gold were:--

To 31st December, 1905 172,0980z Value ... ... ...£694,214 to 31st December. 1906 ;..'... 160,7390z Value :.: ... ...£649,325 —---

A deoreaeo in value of £ 44,889 A decrease in weight of ... 11,55902

.Through tlie courtesy of {lie Inspector bf Mines I ani ciißbled.fd givo the compara.iivb ouKjut bf ihe Dtago cbril riiines. It is as follows:.— For year, ending 3iet Decern- , „ ..tier, 1905 sif;7ol tons For year, ending 31st Docehibe'r 1906 ..; 302,981 tons'

A failing-6lf of ... ... i4;7SO tons Electricity from Waipori.

It is a pleasure to be able.to report tliilt after unavoidable delays this .wbrk has been satisfactorily acebrnplistied; arid (lay; as you know, our trams are run, bur SHreebi; arid; in many co«ea, bur private ighting is catered for by.jxiwcr brought ro'ni the Falls, to, idistancofrorii dur city, of &fne 3fj. riiiles. I ventuixi tlie bpiriidii that Waipori .is. the longest distance iu:d..rKe largest installation of its kind., in, New Zealand; afel possibly south of the line':

Duriediri Municipality. Referring io the City Couheli-prbbably tho most iiripbrtdrit public body iii the bwvinbe,—l Hd nbt r|forib'se (ti c'fifer' into' any mirtiitd sbyiew of citv .affairs; lam pleased to. tibte; .hdwover; frbiri re'potts of tho prododiiigSj that fill i(6 tradifife tldpaft: ments'are dti a eblltid arid jiroDt-catriiiig basis; with tho exception, pcrliafjs, of tlie clbctrib.. powej iritl lighting de'riilrtrribiit. Naturally, this will take' some little' tlhiS td develop fully; but I sinbetblj* llbpe that bre long it will bo in ihb 1 sniilo pbsitidn as buf gas; wdter,, irarhwayS; and abattoir flepArtments; arid help to' reduce' tile rates biitl prbtide fitrther utilities. f«f tho citizens: Tho firesent year marks an important period iii tho financial history of th?., city, inasmuch (w loans amounting to £436,000 mature. Against this sum there is, approximately,- sinking. Jtind arid accrctione. amounHug. tb £185.000;, every penny of which, I arii informed, .vfili be available on the.-dub date. April, 1908—a fact which; I consider, reflecis. great credit on our various City Sinking F.und C'bnlMissioher3. It is confidently anticipated that tlie.rohewal u for the amount required—about £250.00 ii- i iviil bo afranged dji iilosf. advfthtageoiie Jernis, and will nieaii <i considerablean'riuaj saying of ihterest id tlie city. I think IKS .city, .councillors are deserving of ilio- tliah'Kii of tlib coirimiiiiity for (lie beffbrmKnce' of a vast arno'unf di wdfK devolving on them ,in controlling the irtifcofkhi ifii extensile iiridb'rtakihg* they havb in.th'dir KHfifcls. .. Bi.KCTJON dF dFFICE-Bi!AREB3. . . The Chairman intimated tli.it the fbllbwiriggohtlerfion Had been ribmiriatexl foi; bltiCe during tho year iti. accofdaricb with ,tho articjes,_ anr),declared them duly elected:— President, ,Mf .AValtcf Gow; vice-president, Mf.Dura.lil M'Plidfsbiii cSfriijiitiee—Messrs iT. M. Gallaway, Lcilid W. Harris, J. W. Hcnton, Jno. I.iOudonj A: S.. Patorsbn; G. R. RiiiTiic. am! H: Sal'mbn; hbn. auditor, Mr Jbhri Davie;