CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3828, 26 July 1927, Page 36

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce was held last night. The president (Mr H. C. Campbell) occupied the chair. Mr W. A. Loye, of Hott’s (Ltd.), was elected a member of the chamber. A letter was received from the Wellington Chamber with reference to the setting up of local tourist committees, as suggested by the Minister of Publicity at a conference held in Wellington in May.— The matter was referred to the executive.

A letter was received from the New Zealand Master Grocers’ Federation, Auckland, asking for the support of the chamber for the Summer Time Bill. —It was decided to reply that the chamber had always been in favour of daylight saving.

Tile Otago Expansion League wrote suggesting that the carriage of first-class mail matter between the South Island and tli“ ports of arrival of the subsidised overseas mails could be greatly accelerated by the use of aerial mail services from Auckland and Wellington.—Received. A letter was received from the North Canterbury branch of the Fanners’ Union expressing thanks and appreciation for the hospitality extended to the Canterbury farmers during their recent visit to Dunedin.

The Secretary reported that Mr P. C. Harrison, manager of the Bank of Montreal, had called on the president of the chamber and had been introduced to merchants with a view to obtaining information about the possibilities of further trade with Canada.

The Otago Expansion League wrote inquiring whether the chamber would consider it advisable to make representations at present with a view to seeming some reduction in the telephone charges. From inquiry made, it appeared that the toll charges at present in force are quite reasonable.—lt was decided to make further inquiry in regard to subscription rates. The Secretary of the Associated Chambers of Commerce wrote forwarding the following letter from the secretary of the Overseas Ship Owners’ Allotment Comfittee with reference to the. South Island inward service and final ports of call by vessels to and from the West Coast of th 3 United- Kingdom and the East Coast .

of America:—“We have been in communication with London in this connection, and we wish to assure you that we are anxious to afford every consideration to South Island importers and exporters in common with those of the North Island so far as the conditions pertaining to the trade will permit. The problem, however, of giving anything like equal treatment in the matter of first arrivals and final calls of vessels as above appears to be an insoluble one. The position, in brief, is that there is not sufficient cargo offering at above ports of shipment to load one steamer for the South Island and another for the North. In any case, even if a system were adopted of vessels making first port of call in the South Island and North Island alternately, the one going direct to Port Chalmers would reach there at practically the same time as that which left the United Kingdom or America a fortnight earlier via northern ports; and the same position would result with regard to Auckland. As regards the question of final ports of departure from New Zealand, we regret that it is seldom possible to arrange as desired by our southern friends. Such matters as the respective quantities of cargo offering, the matter of draft at certain southern ports, combined with the necessity for fuelling in the North Island, all place insuperable difficulties in the way of falling in with the ideas of your association. It has always been cur practice to co-operate by giving as lengthy notice as possible of prospective discharging and loading programmes, and we wish again to assure you of our willingness at all times to do all we can to assist importers and exporters in every way possible.”—ln connection with this matter, the Canterbury and Invercargill Chambeis wrote asking that the opinion of the local chamber and the Importers and Shippers’ Association be obtained.—lt was resolved to confer with the Importers and Shippers’ Association before making any definite reply. The question of the Bankruptcy Bill was referred to a special committee, consisting of the executive and Mr Benson.