CHAMBER OF COMMENCE

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 69

CHAMBER OF COMMENCE

J ANNUAL MEETING. '• The annual meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce was held on the 14-th.- Mr Walter Gow, the retiring president, occupied the chair, and there were 22 members present. Mr G. L. Denniston sent an apology for non-attendance. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, the Chairman said : ! Finance. The membership during the year has been well maintained — indeed it has slightly increased, — and now stands exactly at 100. The 'financial position also is quite satisfactory, there being a surplus for the. year of £33 6s 3d.^ The reserve fund invested! amounts to £300, and this can immediately be increased by the sum of £50, which ie now available. In my opinion, the time is approaching when- the chamber should consider the advisability of finding more suitable premises, including a room of sufficientsize to accommodate in comfort the meetings of members. No f very great effort would be required to attain this end if we are content to be modest in our ideas. Obituary. It will be observed that during the year two of our members hare answered the call which comes to everyone sooner or later, and I regret having to record the death of Mr A. C. Begg and of Mr L. Mendelsohn. Mr Mendelsohn was a very 'old member of the chamber, and much esteemed. He was a kindly gentleman of j unobtrusive end retiring disposition. Although he never held office, yet he was consistent in his support and regular ! in_ attendance, and will be very much , missed. Mr A. C. Begg was more gene- | rally known, having' been a member of the j chamber during the whole of its history. ' The value of his services as president, ' vice-president, and member of committee ' ie known by none better than by myself, who had the privilege of acting as vice- I president during the ' two years of his ! occupancy of the presidential- chair. He 1 filled the offices "he held with much ■ dignity. He was a man of strict integrity, i His judgment was sound, and he never spared, himself in the performance of his duty. For my own ipart, I deplore his loss as that of a friend as weH as a colleague; . I ' Trade and Industry. ] j I regret -that -I cannot on the present occa- j sion enter upon the usual analysis of our j I trade and industiy. The customary public ' returns are not yet available, except some } advance sheets sent to us by courtesy of . the- department. I understand the delay in j their issue this year has been quite unj avoidable, partly because of the dislocation i consequent upon the disastrous fire which destroyed the Parliamentary Buildings in Wellington. I may, however, in a general ] j way remark that the unbroken prosperity I j whioh has been the lot of the Dominion for j some years, has during the past year re- I ceived a distinct check, and there has been I a falling off, in some cases of volume and | ; in others of value, of many of our staple | j productions. To the district where our j • interests more directly lie the fall in the i value of wool has been a, very serious matter indeed. I believe that to the condition of the wool market, superimposed upon the financial difficulties recently , experienced on the other 6ide of the world, | is in large measure attributable the finan- J cial restriction which has been apparent here and elsewhere in the Dominion. It ,' is undoubtedly a fact that money avail- I able for trading purposes has been scarce, | and therefore dear, the natural consequence j being some shrinkage in the volume of trade. Those most affected, as is usually the case in such circumstances, have been our import merchants and distributors. There is no doubt that the good sense of those concerned will soon bring matters to a more satisfactory position. At the same time we may look for a temporary falling off in the value of imports of general merchandise. It does not appear to me that the situation calls for more than prudence and a. reasonable amount of caution, 'fliere has been no undue inflation in Otago for ' a good many years back, and so far as i our province at anyrate is concerned there ! has been no excessive valuation of land, or anything in the nature" of a, boom which we need fear bursting. Already the 6ky is clearer and ihe outlook more encouraging. The recent heavy snow and rain in Otago j Central are certain to be beneficial, and ' given a fair spring season the agricultural I and pastoral outlook in^that district, not- ' withstanding the loss of sheep consequent ' upon the heavy snowfall, promises to be much better than for many years past. We may also expect to see a revival of gold mining, particularly of ground sluicing, which has practically been dead for j some years in consequence of the want of water. Southland also, in which we are all more or less interested appears to have suffered little or no check — less, certainly, than any other part of the Dominion, — and ' lias been free from the disastrous floods ' which have been so severely felt in our | more immediate neighbourhood. It appears, therefore,_that with an improvement t in wool- values, which seems already to have set in, we may fairly expect that the coming year will again be satisfactory to our Southland friends as well as to "ourselves. Otago Harbour. The management and condition of the port of Otago ie a subject of perennial interest, and it is a matter for congratulation that we a.re able to comment upon a distinct improvement in every resnect and to compliment the Harbour Board, and particularly the engineer of the board, upon the success which has attended recent operations. Nothing in connection with the harbour is of such vital importance as the maintenance and improvement of the entrance thereto and it is therefore of particular interest to note that the works recently undertaken there have proved quite successful, and the danger which threatened in consequence of the growing exaggeration of Hhc bend in the entrance channel between the Maori Kaik and Harrington Point has been overcome by the formation of a new channel, with an easy curve, whioh now carries at its shallowest part (and that extends only a few hundred feet) a mini-

] mum <lep£h of 23ft at low -water. It is I confidently expected that in the early ! future a minimum low-water depth of 25ft j will be secured. So successful have the ; operations been that the old bend has now been gazetted as closed, and provision will be made to prevent a recurrence of the trouble which has been overcome. Steps are also being taken, by an extended and improved system of beacon and lighting, to make the channel from the Heads to Port Chalmers as easy of access by night as by day. CJonstant attention has been gjiven to the Victoria Channel, and a minimum depth of 18ft at low water has been maintained. Operations are now going on in j the direction of widening and stranjhtenI ing this channel so as to render it easily I navigable by vessels drawing up to 21ft of , water. At Dunedin dredging operations are being steadily carried on with a view to securing increased depth of water at the wharves, and it is a part of the board's plan to follow this up by improvement of the Victoria Channel until within the next i few years it will be possible regularly -to i bring to Dunedin and berth alongside the wharves vessels drawing up to 25ft of water. Last year the board secured power to borrow a further sum of £100,000, and , of that amount £20,000 -has recently been I raised, and arrangements are now in progress for increasing and improving the ■ wharfage, building new sheds, and providing up-to-date appliances to carry on the 1 trade of the port. Not the least gratifyI ing circumstance connected with the | management of our harbour has been the I fact that the' inorease, of tonnage and revenue, as well as the steadily-increasing value of the harbour endowments, has rendered it possible within the last few years to considerably reduce both port charges and dues. In the chairman's report for the year 1907, he claims that the value of the remission mad* would, on the trade of that year, have been equal to no less a sum than £11,4-00, as compared with what would have been payable had the rates of 1904 remained in force. While I am not able to vouch for the accuracy of that statement, yet it appears 1b be confirmed by a comparison. I have myself made as between the years ended June, 1907, and June, 1908. "it is difficult, if not impossible, to accurately estimate the effect of the 'reductions, because there is a marked difference not only in the total, but also in the character of the tonnage. It, however, appears certain that, as between these two years, the remissions made must be i equal to £7000 or £8000 on the volume ' of last year's trade, if not more. So far j the concessions made have been mostly in j the direction of reduction of port charges on ships and dues on exports, but this year the question <of making reductions of import dues has been taken in hand, and a schedule prepared which will represent oon- ] cessions to the extent of between £2000 i and £3000, these concessions being directed j mainly to the relieving _of goods such as are required in, carrying on our manufacturing industries. An attempt is also j being\made to assist the re-development of our merchant coastal trade by providing for a refund of half of the import dues paid on »bulky and cheap goods in the i event of such being afterwards exported , coastwise.

Otago Book Trust. The merging of the Otago Dock Trust into the Harbour Board is a matter to which, as the representative of this chamber on the Dock Trust, I have given some attention. I have always held that the whole of the harbour and all ita facilities should bo under the control of one body, and that the existence of a separate trust holding endowments within the. harbour was in the nature of an anomaly which could only lead to unsatisfactory results. It appears that this state of affiairs arose in consequence of an idea that interests in the Lower Harbour were in danger of being neglected; but, in my opinion, there is no ground for such a fear — at any rate, if the Harbour Board does its duty, as no doubt it will, the interests of Port Chalmers, as everywhere else' under its jurisdiction ought to be .quite safe. As matters stand, the fact that the Dock Trust could not clearly see ita way to arrange finance to secure the due equipment of the fine lar<je dock now nearly completed at Port Chalmers led to negotiations between the two bodies, and terms having been mutually arranged, a bill has been prepared, and k now before Parliament, which will permit of merger upon equitable terms as coon as certain preliminaries are completed. The prospect of the consummation of this merger is, I think, highly satisfactory, and should prove ultimately for the benefit of all concerned.

Harbour Board Constitution. The Harbour Boards Bill, which was before Parliament last session, and which, 110 doubt, will this session again be_ introduced, has had the careful attention of your committee, and the result is. noted in the report. I would only add that it will be a very great pity if we fail to impress upon the Government the justice of the olaim of the mercantile community to be represented through the medium or a member elected by the Chamber of Commerce. There can be no doubt that the member so elected has always been, and in the nature of things ie likely to be, one of the most useful members of tlhe board, and it is difficult to «cc on what grounds it is proposed to withdraw the privilege. As to the representation proposed to be given to .country districts, there can be no objection; it appears quite reasonable, provided that it he upon a proper basis. At the same time Tem^esontation should carry with it responsibility', and provision should be made to pave the way towards a free port by providing: for rating of the districts represented. If this were done, a free port would be within view; but T fear it is hopeless to expect that any such provision will be made. Railways. During the past year progress with the railway lines under construction in our province has been disappointingly slow. The Roxburgh line has been moving alonar. but that is all we can say, and wo should not Test satisfied until the tunnel between Lawrence and Beaumont is actually under construction and the line beyond it also in hand. "The Catling- Waimahaka line, which, by the way, is adding two or three miles at the other end for one at this, has only added a trifling mileage, notwithstanding the fact that it traverses country quite equal to, if not better than, most of the country opened up by the arreat railway just about finished in the North Island. Yet we cannot get sufficient interest aroused among the Otago Tepresentativee to secure ite persistent advocaoy. As for the Otago Central, it stands wliere it did a year ago, with no certainty of its immediate continuance. The state of affairs in regard to a matter of such vital concern to Dunedin as the opening up of the in-

terioT is altogether unsatisfactory, and although just at present our newspapers are taking some interest, in the matter, yet, in my humble judgment, they might do much more .to quicken public opinion as to the extreme urgency of looking after our own interests in this direction, and to bring members to band themselves together so as to secure for our province a fair and just share of expenditure in railway construction. Not only our members of Parliament, but also our people, are much too complacent and too " readily content to 6tand to one side. Our friends in the North Island are not built that way, and we see the result. They have in the course of a very few years — few as reckoned in the matter of railway construction — secured the completion of the North Island Trunk through country rough and, for a great part of it, covered with dense bush. Of course, settlement follows, and we see our young people moving off to occupy the land. So much the better for them, bxvfc had our own lands been opened up and provided with railway communication we oould have retained them here. I believe I am right in saying thafr on the North Island Trunk line there is no land after leaving the levels of the West Coast until the Waikato is reached, which will compare with

the lands of the Upper Clutha Valley. Th€ settler 3 in that valley bought their land and settled on -it 'with a promise of early - railway commuracation. which is yet unfulfilled, and this promise was made long before the North Is'and Trunk line was conceived. No doubt the North Island 1 Trunk is a main line, and rightly called a great national undertaking, but what I wish to show is that the same is true of our Otago Central, and that its olaim nowi to first consideration is » indisputable. I have from time to time i^rged the importance of proceeding quickly with this line. I have urged a more .extended view as to its destination. It is true some folks have called me a visionary for my pains, but I am only such in this matter because so many of our people are apathetic, and not alive to their ovra interest. ,- I again urge the claim of the Otago Central ,to be treated as a Main Trunk line and .as.t"a great national undertaking.". -- Its 'true destination is not Wanaka. but Westland.. until linked up- with the railway system of that province, .and it ought to be denominated the North-weat Trunk line. I am convinced that the hope of, Dunedin lies in. this direction. "~~^Does anyone here know that, as compared with the difficulties over- ' - r ■>* _■ ' " ">• ■<-','*

come in the North Island Main Trunk line, [ this line presents but few, and at no point j would it rise to so high an elevation? Does • anyone here realise the possibilities of the ' southern portion of the province of West- • land, the progress of which has only been, ; deferred because of the lack of communication, there being no available harbours. I ; am credibly informed — and what personal ' knowledge I have of the West Coast and , its climate leads me to believe it is true — that the immense area of land available there ie excellenly fitted for dairy farming, and would only be second to the famous West Coast of the North Island. There is further the possibility of mineral wealth being discovered back in the mountains if access to them were lees difficult. Indeed, the expansion of trade that would be pos- ! sible to us on the completion of thfe line can only be estimated or realised by those of us who had experience of the trade of the West Coast before it passed out of our hands in consequence of the distance separ- , ating us by sea. This railway will be ! built some day, although 1 may not live to | see it. Yet -I might see it if we would ' only wake up to our^ own interests, and so bring the day nearer.

Irrigation. While we are thinking of Otago Central, let me mention the subject of irrigation. W« have good reason to be dissatisfied beca.use of ±h*» <tela.y .iating pls.ee in regai-J to this important work. It is at least two years sinee 1""*1 ""* definite promise was made that it would be seriously taken in hand, while last "year's Parliament voted £100,000 for the purpose. Yet we appear to be little, if any, further ahead, and this matter of so great importance to Otago still remains in the region of promise. It looks' very much as if it was the proverbial ■bunch of carrots dangling in front of tie donkey?s nose to secure his docility, and while I do not seek to impugn the bona fides of the Government, yet it is difficult to exercise patience in face of what appears to be unreasonable delay. It is no doubt necessary, as has been said by way of accounting for the present position, that a • properly-considred scheme should be prepared and adopted before entering upon an undertaking of suoh magnitude. • So far • as the districts from Maniototo to Clyde are concerned, there are obvious difficulties to be overcome, but the Upper Clutha Valley which in any case will require to be dealt with under a separate scheme, does not appear to be subject to the same disadvantage. Through the whole length of it the Clutha River runs, carrying a thousand times more water than would be required. There is plenty of power available at Hawea to generate electricity, which power could be easily conveyed down river and made use of wherever necessary to pump the' water, which only needs to be raised at most 60ft or so. Irrigation, would undoubtedly convert that district into a garden, and all fear of the effect of drought even in the driest season would disappear. No time should be last in dealing thus with the lower end of the valley, at any rate, which stands most in need of it. ' Could our Dunedin citizens only cc© the results of irrigation in that valley wherever it has been fairly tried, they might at last wake up, and never rest imtil irrigation and railway ' communication w>ere both accomplished facts. 'In this ', connection, I may be pardoned for saying i that it appears to me to be the height of folly for any of our up-country constituencies to elect as their representatives in Parliament gentlemen who, whatever their i other qualifications, are non-resident and who cannot have any abiding interest in the advancement of Otago. Surely it would be wiser to eleot members who are of our own people and whose interests are centred in our own province.

Conclusion. In conclusion. I would like to say that if I have wandered unduly from the beaten track my excuse must be that I feel kean interest in all matters affecting the welfare of Otago, and not so muoh in the many minor commercial matters which might have provided subject matter for a few paragraphs. I have to thank ihy vicepresident and members of committee for their courtesy and consideration extended to mo during my term of office, and I would again, as is done- every year, express the satisfaction of your committee with the diligence and ability displayed by our worthy secretary, Mr Barr, and to convey to him my personal thanks for many services.

Mr G. R. Ritchie seconded the motion. He 6aid he believed he was expressing the unanimous opinion of the meeting when he thanked the president for hie able and instructive address. He wae very glad that reference had been made to the question of the membership of the chamber, whioh wee worthy of befcber support than had previously been the case. It was a body that was always ready to give every consideration to any suggestion put forward by Dunedin citizens, and were its membership increased it would be a much more live body than it was. It was satisfactory to know that the finances of the chamber were good, and he hoped that, those funds would be in some way applied so as to make the_ ohamfoer more attrac- i tive to members. It was very pleasing i to hear the chairman's remarks on the ' condition of the harbour, and he mipiht mention that in conversation with the captains of various oversea steamers, h© had been assured that they thought no more of coming into Dunedin Harbour | than of going into Lyltelton or Welling- ! ton.— (Applause.) That was a state of ■ things that did not seem poseiHle 10 or \ more year« ago. He was glnd to notice j the fact that the districts of Otajro and Southland, in which they were closely interested, were in a prosperous condition. They had had a mild sort of boom during the past two years, more especially in the north, and as sure as there was a .boom there must be a reaction. At present thov were suffering that reaction, but it was really not of a serious nature. The price of wool was steady, and everything else [ ftrm, with tho exoeotion of flax, but, in j an-v case, wool and flax more closely conoevned th© North Island than the South. Whether prices were going to recede or not he could not say. but whatever happened, he believed he was risrht in saying that there was no part of the Dominion in a better posit-ion to stand any reaction than Otago and Southland. They had lately seen that a large number of northern Investors had been driven down south, sinvnlv because prices in the north were unduly inflated, and their operations on 1 southern markets had somewhat inflated , land values down south — but not to any J •erious extent. He did not think for a moment that people were awero of the ' actual capital that might be erot oui of Ofcago and Southland, whose future prospects were very bright indeed. i

Mr John Mill sai'J that one or two things

appeared to havo been overlooked in the chairman's' remarks. New Zealand had not been getting nearly as many emigrants as she had had in the early days. He thought the chamber should support the Government in an endeavour to bring out suitable emigrants. It might give this matter attention during the coming year. Then, as to defence most of. the permanent forces were being taken away from Otago and stationed at Wellington. He also thought that the chamber should endeavour, before the £100,000 was voted for naval purposes, to get the British warships to visit Dunedin as well as Auckland and Wellington. Then there was the way in which the Government had treated the Harbour Board in the matter of endowments. As to the membership of the Chamber of Commerce, he would suggest that notices be distributed. It was for want of " push " that the chamber had only 100 members. He could not help thinking that in come connections this part of the country was the " milch cow " of the Government. He agreed with the report, but hoped that his suggestions might be considered. The motion was carried unanimously. A MAYORAL CHAIN.

The Chairman 'said that the incoming committee desired to take the opinion of the chamber on the matter of "a" chain of dignity for our Mayor." It had been alleged that the committee had taken this matter in hand. Tlve ciha,mb©r> fee believed had, however, merely taken up a link. He would move — " That the committee _of the Chamber of Commerce provide the central medallion or link in the event of a ohain of office being provided for the Mayor of Dunedin." Mr Theomin seconded the motion. Mr Chisholm having explained the procedure in the Old Country, in this regard, Mr Gallaway said that if the Mayor could see his way to discarding the cocked hat and robes the chamber would be doubtless pleased to present him with a medallion, although he feared it was beyond the powers of the memorandum.

Mr Louden objected to the Chamber of Commerce spending money in this direction. It was quite outside its province. The motion waa put and carried. OFFICE-BEAHEHS.

The following office-bearers were nominated and declared duly elected: — President, Mr Dugald M'Pherson ; vice-presi-dent, Mr G. R. Ritchie; committee — Messrs J. M. Gallaway, J. W. Henton. John Loudon, H. Salmon, Crosby Morris, Walter Gow, and Thomas Glendimng; auditor, Mr John Davie.

A vote of thanks to the retiring president and office-bearers and the usual compliment to the chair terminated the proceedings.