WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2086, 15 February 1894, Page 11

WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Wellington, February 12.

The annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was held to-day, the president (Mr D. T. Stuart) in the chair. The Chairman presumed they might accept the advocacy of the New Zealand Times of the central route for the North Island Trunk Railway as an indication that the Ministry favoured adherence to the original line as decided upon when the loan was raised. This was matter for congratulation. Referring to the fact that the Government commission on the administration of bankrupt estates last year amounted to £175 as against £152 in 1892, he said it was manifest that any such sum fell far short of the amount realised for salaries. Of course they would be rejoiced if such a commission dwindled to a vanishing point, but there would, he said, always be unfortunates in business. Private assignments were now largely resorted to, thereby diverting commission from the department. He suggested that the stamp duty on private assignments be increased from 108 to £5. As to the development of the exports of the colony, he proposed to compare that for the year ended 30th September last with the corresponding three years. If they included gold and omitted re-exports and specie they arrived at the totals in pounds sterling of New Zealand produce. For the year ending September 30, 1890, the figures were £9,641,000 ; 1891, £9,623,900; 1892, £9,152,800; 1893, £9,000,200. That represented a total decline of £640,800 since 1890. In the New Zealand Trade Keview of November 30 appeared an interesting and suggestive table, in which values were computed on the respective quantities of each year, but on the uniform basis of the valuations of the latest of the quoted periods — namely, that ended September 30 last. Thus was afforded a fair measure of comparative volume of those tour years. The aggregate results were : — To September 30, 1890. £8,938,700; 1891, £9,223,600; 1892, £8,778,800; 1893, £9,000.200. The value of exports to last September was thus shown to exceed that of all other periods except 1891. From figures furnished by the secretary he extracted the quantities or weights of some of the leading staples exported. In the two years ending 30fch September 1892 and 1893 wool was 110,860,0001b and 119, 64-2, 8001b respectively, and frozen meat 844,200cwt and 926,700cwt. He noted the following increases in favour of the 1893 period :— Wheat, 437,200 bushels; maize, 54,900 bushels ; beans and pease, 38,400 bushels ; hemp, 14,000 tons ; butter, 500cwt ; cheese, 6100owt ; tallow, 300 tons ; kauri gum, 100 tons. Some of the decreases were . — Preserved meats, 13,800cwt ; cured and salted meats, 8100owt ; oats, 2,418,600 bushels ; barley, 13,400 bushels ; malt, 39,700 bushels ; flour, 1200 tons ; bran and sharps, 4600 tons ; oatmeal, 15,000cwt. The exports since 1863 he showed had increased by £5,499,000, and] the customs revenue since 1863 had increased from £592,000 to £1,670,000, and the imports for the year ending September 30, 1593, amounted to £6,843,582.

Tho report was adopted. Mr J. B. Harcourb moved— "That the chamber record its high appreciation ot the admirable management by the late comar.s- «;?'" rn~Tfc. ?sinv»v"s uf-i!^ '">tcny, and is of opinion thut the service cannot ut-'- s J?.? cr through baing deprived of the benefits oi blio" groat experience possessed by Messrs Maxwell aud Honnay." Mr T. Reeves eaid in this ease the first thing: they had to do was to consider the dignity oi the chamber, and having already passed the report, which contained almost the very words Mr Harcourt had so ably amplified, it would be inconsistent to negative it. At the same time, however, he would like to say he agreed with every word the mover had said in praise of Messrs Hannay and Maxwell, and for that reason he disagreed with the resolution. Mr Harcourt had not said one word as to the second part of the resolution, which he (Mr Reeves) took it was a censure not only on the new commissioners, but upon the Government and on the policy the Government intended to go upon, of which the chamber had not one scintilla of evidence before them. Before all things they should be businesslike, and should not form opinions before they had had an opportunity of knowing whether the service was going to suffer, and they could not possibly tell that before they had the policy of the Government placed before Parliament, The resolution was then put and carried. The motion supporting the report of a Select Committee of the New South Wales Legislative Council regarding the Costa Rica Packet case was carried.