WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 13

WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

WELLINGTON. February 6.' At the annual meo.tinsr of the Chamber of Commerce tc-day Mr G. Shirtcliffe (president) raid that the iiue*tion of preferential trade for the -Empire w&s- still in the «iir Th" totnl imnort and export trade fi the colony for 1905 amounted to £28 000 000, of which 70 per cent, was done with Groat -Britain, 194 per cent, with British possessions, and 7J por cent, with tho United Sfates. leaving only 3 por cent, of the total to foreign nations. He oxpro^-ed tho opinion ihit it would bo to the advantage of the colony to offer .Groiit Britain a rcavnahlo measure Oi tfpnuino preference . irrespective of any return that tho liru>eria! autriiritie« might ' or raiffht not be able to make Regarding o:u- export-- llWi-cr should not be lost fipht O' tlu.t the incrca-o v.as \ o,v large] v a pricp and not a <|iiant.tv inevpaEC. and tint so far -i* fould -\>o judercd a con-finaar-xo of iro^d time* in rhe colom during tho next few yr-ar« depcifdod tc a very., great extent iinon the niainten ince oL \ allies rather th.vi on any suUtantial increase in tho volume of the exports that might he expected Traders sho'ild boar in mind that the present abnormally !• ltjii puce= .'or our produce could not be exposed to continue, aiid should thorp be any"'. incr 1 il- o a severe '-lump a reaction wnuM piobablv be .'C\orc-lv felt. The picsiict-i for the curort year apponrod to 1-" c>ccll"nt E\or\'hinp pointed to tho colony bine; in a hi.~hlv pir^iwrous oo.idition. and the only danger ahead chat one could foresee wa l thai «uch good Junes miirht lead to in extravagant .etandird of li\ing and o\or =mccv'": ion on tho pait of ti.irlers p,"d o'hor- Rr fen pit to iho trade of Wellington he -nd that | during tho la<-t four \'\-n^ ir bn<] ir>< ica.-#d by *5 pei co.it . .Auckland l>\ 19 If" cf>nt • an' Din dim by 15 p< '" ff " r r I lie fo!'ov\in*r ro«oluti')ii w«- na= c < d - " Ihv. t'..s cl imin i.MT.iin- the \iews , \p,, v.! i- tl I.m a- i ■-..! '!i» tins in rc^i-"' r -t cf i.. e\cc i\c of noli-

days that arc t.i'c^n by the ba.->l.s trading vi "Now Zo->!"nd and the council lo take eioiy op>>cr.an:tv of seeking a i eduction of th-.'ir numb-jv."

L-nt'on's gas ccr_-u^intioii 1= e\er 6000 'i h" Trn^ni i'-T^ujii I'cu tcil h.:s decuic't 1o <-"a'! comp{ ui'r c d«.si:::i' fo- a Tou n H.'il anil I'uViic Libra~y. :it a e~*t rot to exceed £13.^00.