CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24636, 18 June 1941, Page 8

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MEETING OF COUNCIL The monthly meeting of the Council of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce was held last night, Mr C. M. Bruce presiding. There were present Messrs G. G. Adess, W. E. Earnshaw, H. L. Longbottom. J. S. Skinner, S. Lawn, J. H. Edmond, H. F. Larsen, G. T. Andersoir. M. G, Black, G. FT" Booth. J. R. H. Caiman, W. Stevenson, and J. J. Webster. Vocational Guidance Mr J. R. Fairbairn was re-appointed the chamber's representative on the Vocational Guidance Association. Mr Fairbairn presented a brief report covering the association's activities. Executive's Report The executive reported that in response to the request made, the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) advised the Associated Chambers that as soon as the Government was in a position to do so, it would make its proposals known to the" people regarding economic problems arising from export restrictions. The Associated Chambers had decided that no further action' should at present be taken to have licences covering classes or categories of goods instead of tariff items. Although the Minister said that the desirability of making licences available as early as possible was recognised and consequently to determine as soon as practicable the allocations for imports in 1942, no announcement regarding sixth period licences had as yet been made.

A request that such an announcement be made as early as possible had been again made to the Minister. The sub-committee Df the Associated Chambers' Executive dealing with the matter of the pilfering of cargo considered there was good ground for the contention that in respect to overseas cargo, the pilfering was done, not so much at the New Zealand end. as at the overseas ports where the goods were loaded under " black-out" conditions, which favoured the forms of theft that were occurring. The committee thought that under the rotational system of employing wharf labour, by a process of elimination, it might be possible by keeping a record of workers in gangs to discover the parties responsible for pilfering. The committee further reported that there was plenty of evidence to show that pilfering was accentuated by careless and insufficient packing. A further point to be investigated by the committee was the question of the adequacy of police supervision in the work of unloading ships. The report was approved. Comforts for Camps

In response to a request by Major J. G. Jeffery it was decided to endeavour to supply 12 armchairs for the sergeants' messes at local military camps.