CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19956, 25 November 1926, Page 15

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

ANNUAL CONFERENCE,

OPENED IH WELLINGTON. CONSIDERATION OF REMITS. (Special to Dai-/ Times.) WELLINGTON, November 24. Delegates representing the Chambers of, Commerce in all parts of the Dominion are attending the annual conference of the Association of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, which was opened in the Council Chambers at the Town Hall to-day. Mr A. H. Mackrell (Invercargill) presided, and those present included the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. A. D. M'Leod). The following chambers were represented; Auckland, Canterbury. Dannevirka, Dunedin, Gisborne. Greymouth, “Hamilton; Hawera, Hastings, Invercargill, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, Oamaru, Pahiatua, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Stratford, South Canterbury, Taihape, Te Kuiti, Wanganui, Wellington, Wbangarei. Waitemata. Redding Raetihi, and Taranaki. HON. A. D. M'LEOD’S ADDRESS. The Hon. A. D. M'Leod said that he had accepted the invitation to attend the conference, which he regarded as a very important one, with both satisfaction and trepidation. He felt that he would ( be meeting for the first time, in a concrete form at any rate, the men who were to a large extent guiding th- of the commercial side of New Zealand s life. His trepidation arose from the fact that as one who had always been associated with the land and the man on the Land, he felt that he might be like Daniel going towards the den of lions.—(Laughter.) He knew howimportant it was for all sections of the community to, meet to discuss their problems and convey their wishes to the Government. He might almost claim the right to take a seat at the conference as a delegate. He saw in the gathering more than one representative of that great and important branch of commercial life in New Zealand, the stock and station agent, who had done much for the development of (he country in the past. As Minister of Lands he was the political head of about the largest stock and station agency m New Zealand. In connection with the discharged soldiers’ settlement scheme, the Government had many thousands of clients. REVISION OF TARIFF. The conference then proceeded with the consideration of remits as follows;- - This conference, whilst noting th® recent promise by the Government of an earlv -revision of the tariff, would respectfully point out that, with the existent unemployment, adverse trade balance, and a heavy decline in the overseas value of the Dominion’s produce, an immediate and substantial reduction in the, tariff is essential if the cost of .living, and consequently of production, is to be reduced. This remit was moved by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce supporting the remit Mr F. A. Hellaby (Auckland) said that the cost of production had reached such a point that the position of a small , farmer was not an economic one. A bey • should give the farmer every opportunity of making his business pay, for if the farmers failed then the whole country would suffer. , _ , , . Mr W. Machin (Canterbury) described the remit as one of the most important that would come before the conference. The farmer to-day was abs solutely unsheltered, and was getting a decreasing return for his labours. One of the most sinister aspects of the matter was the fact that an increased tar£ meant increased rates of pay for city ■workers, while those iu the country h&d no such safeguard. _ .t Mr G. Mitchell (Wellington) said that he was totally opposed to any reduction of the tariff on foreign goods. He believed that they could secure nearly all they wanted from within ,the British Empire. In view of the present position of the country, they would have to face the facts squarely. He moved as an amendment that the remit should be altered to apply only to British goods. Mr F. R. Ball (Gisborne) seconded the amendment. . Mr Machin pointed out -that there were many agricultural implements which could be secured only from foreign counMr J. B Richards (Stratford) said that they need have no fears about agricultural implements, as those made m New Zealand were as good as anything they could get. ~ The President (Mr A. H. Mackrell) expressed the hope that the remit would be carried in its original form. He was sure that there would be no misunder- ' standing regarding their attitude towards British goods. On being put to the vote Mr Mitchell’s amendment was lost, and the debate was adjourned. . The conference adopted the following remit; — That, with a view to fostering the existing public sentiment in favour of Empire trade, this conference urges the Government to consider the possibility of requiring that all goods and, or their containers, coming from overseas shall be distinctly marked with the name of the country of origin. -