CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3954, 24 December 1929, Page 26

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. At the monthly meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce the president, Mr A. H. Allen, occupied the chair. There were also present Messis H. Mitchel], S. P. Cameron, 11. L. Smith, H. J. Guthrie, IL Turner. N. Falconer. T. C. Ross, E. Sheed, R. Dunean, P. O. Sinellie, and J. G. Dykes. COR R E SPONDENCE. A communication was received from the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) relative to the chamber’s representations in regard to an early removal of the additional primage duty. The Prime Minister assured the chamber that no one would be more pleased than himself to see th? early abolition of the impost, but he regretted that the finances of the country would not permit of such a course being adopted at present. He trusted, however, that the position would have sufficiently improved/ to enable the extra duty to be taken off next financial year. •—Received. The Director-general of Agriculture forwarded a copy of the regulations dealing with the importation of hay, straw, or chaff from certain countries, including Great Britain and ' the Continent of Europe; The regulations prohibit the introduction of such merchandise unless it is disinfected as provided in the regulations, with a view to minimising foot-and-mouth disease. The writer stated that although steps were being taken to make this prohibition as widely known as possible in Continental countries, consignments of goods had come to hand from time to time packed in hay or straw. For the purposes of facilitating trade, the department had, in such eases, made a decision authorising the destruction of such packing, but it could not continue this practice indefinitely. To save themselves trouble and expense, importers were urged, when ordering goods from the Continent, to give instructions that hay, straw, or chaff were not to be used as a packing material. —Received. EXECUTIVES REPORT.

The executive reported that it had gone into the Wellington Merchant Service Guild’s proposals for providing training ships for boys, and had forwarded a letter to the guild expressing its sympathy with the scheme. —Approved. The executive further reported that it had forwarded copies of the Christmas Number of the Otago Witness tor the use of passengers on the ATalolo. and that it had written to the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce inviting future parties to visit Dunedin. —Approved. CHARITY STAMPS. The president read a letter from the Chief Postmaster, Dunedin, requesting the chamber’s co-operation in the Government's charity stamp scheme. —The president said that Mr J. Sutherland Ross had suggested that the Manufacturers’ Association and the Chamber of Commerce should circulate a letter conveying their endorsement of the scheme and commending it to the public.—lt was decided to fall in with the suggestion. NIGHT MAIL ARRANGEMENTS. It was reported by the executive that the Gore Chamber of Commerce had written asking the assistance of the Dunedin Chamber in having more suitable arrangements made for night mails between Gore and Timaru. It was pointed out that week-end mails closed on Sundays at Gore because, during the winter months, there were no other convenient trains for north of Dunedin, whereas they closed in Timaru on Saturdays because there was ample provision for southern mails on Mondays. To alter the position, an extra staff would be needed to work on Sundays.—Approved.

VISIT TO HILLSIDE. A telegram was received from the general manager of railways (Mr 11. H. Sterling) suggesting February 20 as a suitable date for a visit of members to the Hillside Workshops.—lt was decided to notify Mr Sterling that the date suggested would be suitable. BANK HOLIDAYS. Some discussion arose on the question of the banks closing on saints’ days.— The chairman said that the executive had written to the Associated Chambers of Commerce, pointing out that in the event of such a day falling on a Saturday busi--ness people were put to considerable inconvenience in having to hold over their cash until Monday. The executive considered that the banks should be pressed to have this matter rectified. —Mr Ross pointed out that a particularly glaring instance occurred in April, 1930. Good Friday fell on April 18, and on this and the three following days the banks would be closed. St. George’s Day, also a bank holiday, fell on April 23, and Anzac Day on April 25. —It was decided to write again to the Associated Chambers urging that the banks be requested to abolish eaints’ days as bank holidays and to add them to the annual holiday of the staffs. OVERSEAS SHIPPING.

In reply to representations by the chamber that imports into and exports from the South Island be concentrated co as to be handled by ships working only Wellington and the South Island ports, the Dairy Produce Board wrote advising that the suggestion to concentrate shipments to steamers working South Island ports and Wellington had already been considered by the board, but one pf the great difficulties was the lack of organisation in regard to imports. All the shipping companies trading to New Zealand naturally sought to secure what import shipments they could, irrespective of the ports to which the goods were consigned, and in this way steamers worked a very much larger number of ports than was really necessary. As far as refrigerated cargoes were concerned, cargoes were well organised, and were chared by the shipping companies so that it was possible to arrange fairly satisfactory shipments. In a further letter, the board expressed itself as entirely in sympathy with the chamber’s representations, and stated that, if it could possibly be arranged, the South Island ports would be worked by steamers calling at Wellington only in the North Island. This suggestion had been put forward by the board from time to time to shipping

companies, but it was felt that the organisation of imports was quite outside the jurisdiction of the board. It would, therefore, make the suggestion that the chambers of commerce should take up the question with a view to imports into New Zealand being organised, so that steamers might call at South Island ports and Wellington only. The chamber could rest assured that if anything could be done, the board would do everything in its power to arrange for the exports of dairy produce to be handled to suit this arrangement. The Meat Producers’ Board wrote stating that it would consider the question at its next meeting. Tiie Wellington Chamber advised that since it had already waited on the shipping companies, the council was of opinion that it could do nothing further in the matter. . However, it was in sympathy with the Dunedin Chamber’s suggestion — The chairman said that he thought it advisable to write again to the Dairy Produce Board, pointing out that the Chambers of Commerce were willing to do what they could in regard to the organisation of imports; it was with exports that they wished the board to assist. So far as the imports were concerned, it might be possible to arrange for smaller steamers to come out which would be loaded solely with South Island cargo. They did not want the big boats which could not fill up with cargo for South Island ports. The same suggestion would apply to the export trade.—lt was decided to write to the Wellington Chamber and the Dairy Produce Board with a view to obtaining a definite promise of co-operation, and as soon as unanimity was reached to make representations to the Shipowners’ Allotment Committee.