EMPIRE CONGRESS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19128, 24 September 1936, Page 4

EMPIRE CONGRESS

CHAMBERS OP COMMERCE ARRIVAL OF DELEGATES GROUP FROM OVERSEAS (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. England, Wales, the Irish Free State, Southern Rhodesia and Trinidad were represented by seven travellers who arrived from England by the Remuera yesterday to attend the fourteenth eongress'of the Federated Chambers of Coriimerce of the British Empire, which will open at Wellington next week.

This was the first of several parties j of delegates which will arrive at Auckland in the next few days. A former High Sheriff of Glamorganshire, and an ex-member of the British House of Commons, Sir Lewis Lougher, is a member of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce and has shipping interests. He said that the importation of colonial produce through Cardiff was largely on the increase, and he hoped that New Zealand would share in this South Wales' trade. "New Zealand produce is very favourably received in South Wales, and is much sought after," he added. . , Accompanying Sir Lewis is Mr. T. 11. Mordey, another member of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, who also is connected with the shipping industry. Mr. Mordey is a menvber of the Council of Federated Chambers of Commerce. SOUTHERN RHODESIA , A former High Commissioner for Southern Rhodesia, Mr. J. W. Downie, C.M.G., is a delegate from the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce. He has been the Minister of Agriculture and Mines in the Southern Rhodesian Government, and was the High Commissioner from 1930 to 1935. Mr. Downie, who was 'born in Glasgow and has been in Southern Rhodesia for 40 years, retired from business in 1919, and was in Parliament from 1923 to 1934. "Southern Rhodesia has been through the depression the same as other countries, but the colony has a varied output of primary products and raw materials, and the gold mining and mineral industries have carried us through," said Mr. Downie. "We have a satisfactory budgetary position, and have been able to reduce taxation." From the Irish Free State comes Mr. George N. Jacob, the president of a firm of biscuit manufacturers with factories in Dublin and Aintree, near Liverpool. He is the representative of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the Free State. He is making his first visit to New Zealand, but his brother, Mr. W. F. Jacob, a well-known breeder of pedigree stock at Feilding, has been a resident of the Dominion for 50 years. "Being a manufacturer, I avoid politics assiduously," said Mr. Jacob in declining to comment upon the political situation in the Irish Free State. He added, however, that the Free State Government was definitely encouraging industry and a great number of new manufacturing companies had been started. YORKSHIRE AND LONDON A Yorkshire delegate to the congress is Mr. A. J. Pyrah, who is the director of a carpet-manufacturing company. He is the representative of the Checkheaton Chamber of Commerce. Another delegate who is making his second visit to the Dominion, his last being 25 years ago, is Mr. C. T. Craig, a >wood pulp importer, who is one of the representatives of the London Chamber of Commerce. The discussions which would particularly interest him at the congress would be those in connection with petroleum and sugar industries, said Mr. D. Mcßride, of Trinidad, the only delegate of the West Indies. It might be possible, Mr. Mcßride said, for NewZealand to develop a dairy produce market in Trinidad. A small amount of New Zealand butter entered the island at present, this being transhipped either in the West Indies or in Canada. The Trinidad grape-fruit industry was increasing rapidly, aud Mr. Mcßride proposed making inquiries in New Zealand as to the possibility of establishing a market here.