CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2205, 4 June 1896, Page 53

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING.

Chris icuurch, May 29 At the quarterly meetii.g of the Chamber ol 1 Commerce, the prieidant (Mr I. Gibbn), in tha course of hia address, said that in the absence of authoritative information as to the cost ol extending the Northern railway to Cheviot, th« committee did not consider it advisable ta make any recommendation on the subject. Referring to the displacement of British gooda by foreign, and the information supplied by the chamber to the Hon. J. Q. Ward on tho subject (in reply to Mr Chamberlain's despatch), he confessed the proposal to impose a differ* ential tax on foreign importations was very attractive to him, and he believed that the increase in prices which would be realised for frozen meat, butter, cheose, grain, and other produce, as the outcome of a tax levied by the British Government on produce from foreign countries, would more than compensate us for the duties we may have to forgo on goodo of British manufacture. He said the reply of the Minister for < Railways to the representation of the chamber regarding the excessive charges on the Curintchurch-Lyttelton railway could only be regarded as altogether most unsatisfaotory. For years past the chamber had represented to the authorities controlling tho railways, from time to time, the injustice to Canterbury of maintaining exorbitant' rates between Christohurch and Ly ttelton «c compared with the rates ruling on other lines in the; colony, but it seemed almost hopeless to expect any redress of the grievances which bad existed so long. He said the new system of six-/ penny telegrams would only be of benefit to senders of short messages, as on any telegram exceeding 18 words no concession was made by the department. He urged the people of Canterbury to see than the Government, no matter which sida should be in office, included in the Estimates a sum towards the completion of the But and West Coatt railway at least equal tb the amounts voted annually for the extension of tho Otasjo Central or North Island trunk railways. He believed the colony would in the end reap a greater advantage if the present methods of increasing the public debt were discontinued and a straight out loan were obtained to com* plete the three lines referred to. Employment would thus be found for surplus labour, lands would^e opened up for settlement, the agricultural, mining (both coal and gold), and timber industries would be benefited, and we should have at least a tangible asset in the railways for the money expended. He referred at somo length to tho establishment of the Navy League and the outlook for the staple products of tha colony. A motion urging .the Government to acquire large estates between Cheviot and Ashley under the Land for Settlements; Act was nod seconded.