CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Southland Times, Issue 3321, 11 February 1879, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

-fc__ A special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was" held yesterday. There .was a very large attendance, , about twenty-five gentlemen being present. In the absence of the President, Mr J. T. Martin was voted to the chair. ■: After the inward correspondence had been read and approved, Messrs J. 'C.' 'Harris and D. Strang were elected members of the Chamber. . The meeting then proceeded to choose a member to represent the Chamber on the Bluff Harbor Board. The gentlemen nominated were — Thos. Brodrick, proposed by Mr Matheson, seconded by Mr Perkins ; James Alexander Menzies, proposed by Mr Craig, seconded by Mr Wade. In seconding Dr Menzies's nomination, Mr Wade complained that Mr Brodrick had instituted a personal canvass for votes. This he considered a riiost reprehensible proceeding on that gentleman's part. ? « Mr McDonald questioned Mr Wade's right to refer to Mr Brodrick in this manner, but the meeting allowed MrWade to proceed. Mr Wade averred that he did not give way to anyone in that Chamber in prjvate respect for- Mr Brodrick, but he did nbt at aU approve of the manner in which he had endeavored to secure the seat. The public had complained of the manner in which the business of the Board had been transacted in the past, and he thought it would have been far better if the. members had been, allowed to give their votes unfettered. ' . ; ., . Messrs Perkins. McDonald, and Mitchell denied that Mr Brodrick had solicited their votes. ; ; '.'••'>{'".'■".' j. ', Mr Craig averred 1 Mr Brodrick had said he had 25 promises of rotes from members of that Chamber. Mr : Brodrick-/ was : quite- prepared, to iadmit having asked members for their votes. If anyone else had been contesting the seat the same course would have been pursued. It was the usual practise in; such cases, and he had only carried it but. He had done nothing but what he was fully and fairly entitled to do. Mr Bain thought Mr Brodrick's action was perfectly legitimate^ ,but members .should not ■ have pledged themselves. He should certainly give. Mr Brodrick his vpte,, for the other candidate was not pnly riot a business "man, but he was away for a considerable part of the year on Ws"legislatiye:duti'es v . He altogether disapproved of the action 'of |he Legislature in altering the constitution 'of the Harbor Board.- A' -A y. ;• ;-;.* r _,-;._ ;; Mr Craig wished; to. ask ; Mr B.ro,drick a question* regarding /the/steamer ' Qomef ang. ; . The said; he w^s not. : quite f clear whether any'';^uestio'ris';'cb.^d;'b'e.-as^e'd;'' It would have been/quite "proper ;.tb;^k.questions pn the ; hustings, /but/ he;had[ his doubts; as; to whether /they coidd. be/asked "m ber. .;■_ ' P72kk'77P7 " -"•'/•'!''• '■■" Members generally; ajgreed that f Mr Craig should be allowed to/ question Mr Brodrick. In reply, to Mr^-^rpigj, M^ Broolijlc— saicL lie was m:fevbr'ofthe v^p_^;-ge"t"_iig: , ''the Comerang as^-tugTboatrto/te^t^the; .capabilities of the harbor to sixgptt' frj^Ak ' kk7' ~ / . ;'.- i .Mr Craig-jf:ls th'ei;e an'y-tr ;uth'ln'the' f urriorj .- Mr Brbdrick, /that" "the^Cpi—bfarig: *-i_ /'Half .'. a century old t-r Ay 777 A •r- ■ :-■ '"'7'^' / Mr Brbdnc- diHnlt /kripw. .'." ■*' Inreply tp.anpth'er 'question from Mr Craig, • Mr,- Brodrick was in-f ayqf-pf : getting»a 'i steam-tugL '^ sirable /they /should^ve^ :jme^-i ;.Th^ -tug; should be Of sufficient; power' to take hold' of j ship outside, and bring /her mto port against! a sniart'-.'breeze; but- .• to accompl_hv; this it ' would i cost aTcohsiderable; •sum of money. / •He believed the /Ly^tteltqn Harbor Board; paid ; x £13,000 for -thefetugVfeb^; ; a;i^ , , if .they % re- ? quir,e_ -;such a -bp^t there a steamer, of . less : power won.ldjnot'besiutabl^ ; into ; BluS/;"/H^pr/ ; ; /^^ higher >win^ /heavier-seas to contend^.with. .At the same time" he considered /it -would ;be premature t ;togo to such an expenditure now— it would' - be.a;financial blunder.,, -.The maintenance of .-juch;- a boat would absorb more than the; ■/whole of the revenue, which, taken from the' treasurer's report, --amounted to £3619"' l;7s sd^//The working. experises of such a steamer would be— interest-on cost (at 8 per cent.), £1040; insurance (at6 per cent;), £780; wages, ' £696 ; 'wear aud'teaivmaintenance, and con-' | tingencies, £300 ; coals, £408 ; depreciation' i (at ! s percent.), £650;_^making agro3sexpen-' diture, per annum, of £3874, and showing ,a loss of "£254 Odd" over* and above the gross receipts or revenue of the haibor. This, would show them that it would be a gteat ' financial blunder and mistake to'gb-into it at ! "the^preseht time. The' earnftigs^'by towgge for twelve months might be— ls'S_ups__ £20 each, £300. Th—fwas more than the average of vessels towing' at the present* time.* It-was well known that theharbonhister* had' expressed, a'-wislj to' hays a- g^wier o$ less • *-*•' - "■> "^' : -" -1

capabilities, than he had mentioned, but if he succeeded in getting one me v would Jbe paly fit for a yacht for himself and^riehds^o^ cruise about in. It would betoMly uufifcfor the towing required. yAk^. AAaA k In reply to; Mr Craig, Mr Brodrick siid-f he did not know whether the Comei'aughafrey.ef traded between Melbourne^njjCCreiblon^ y 'A, - In reply to Mr Bain^Mr B^ri^'said^tbat ; perhaps he did wrong in taking _ an"* a»M^e part in the niatter when it was before^n^ Board. A .-Mr-Bain said an impression existed, that Mr"Brodrick had an interest in the Cqmerang; Was thiji^correctj,? '._....,-.■.„_., .. „ \ MrVßrbdrickj-deivied that he. had any interest.^"'"He'wOuid^ state ■ "thrift h*e •'was the only, nautical man on the Board j andjiejvas thereof o^expMn? ■-^ He-had-no4ntoT«stwhaW«-ever in going to the.-Blu-fiV Harbor Board, but he felt- sure that were he. elected he shouldbe able to recommend the proper things^to .ber done.. ;■-..;'•; •"' /. A'Ak'sy y~Mr Craig ---You really don't think then,, Mr Brbdrick,;thatvthe Gomerang is 50^ars bldl? s : Mp;Brodi^k;rep^ated that7h'e"';aid' nofe know. He thought she was abqut 20.... ;kky\ Mr Ma.crprie urged that somebrie'cbriheclied with the Chamber, and also with the commercial interest, ; ...;'?; '.:■ ;'■ : 'MX; Cuthbertson said he had ; no Kesitation ini giving -Mr Brodrick his "vote. The pro- ; ; priety of his action in personally canvassing' had been brought ; into; c_uestion, but he greatly doubted if those; who ; now denounced " Mrißrodrickha'dJhbt^^^l^their time canvassed ■;'ipr:ybtes.i : .f ; ',;..; „,ktkApi^., ktkApi^. ■' yy-. ... -Ays-Ayy I Messrs Wade , and ' Graig _ defied .Mr Outli- ' bertson; tb ; say that they^^ h^d eyer "canvassed. .^; ' ' ; Mi: Cuthbertson said : that ,thes'egentleriieri|; being without rsiriyj'^'J^ stone.; . He did not think Mr Brodrick need,.be at "all ashamed of his action. * He then referred to the circumstances conriected/.T^fh'^ the Gomerang being plac.ejd- at. the ser nee "pf;, theßoard, aud- concluded by expressing^ hisconywtibhthat these imputations ; of a-pei-sonat character were most discreditable. ...'.''-;''"'. ■'; 'MS-. t?ralg;...here, .withdrew JOr Menzies's.. . nomination. ky7 7 Ay, 7 „, AAP- ■'-'■ ' kAyAk' ykMy: .Hv^Feldyvjck^rstated;:tfiat he had- nbt promised ihisybte." <He had been asked to , do . so^;but,.haa^^^ systern, ; of . rbutton-M Af teri;stating wbat;;Dr Merizi.es , had dope for ' the Chamber, .he said; he"' had' heard ; that, all ; " but 'four merabers, were, pledged; to vote 'for. -Mr 'Brodrick. 777 Ap^kkAy. :Akk \ '" 7 '•--'.'■ '"' 7 "• Mr Bairi denied this.'*'* "'' k : ■" AAA... „, , i ; Mr Feldwick,, amidst some confusion, said he wriiild , ; liaye : his say. . '.He .thought-' those . who f-E&& pieclged'.themselves ..shpuid be - &ti-: solved from their ' promises. ' He 'himself . 'had'' been .asked to stand j 'but . had .:;de;c;lih_,d'. ; bn account of other duties'. He should yb'tefbr Mrßrodrickr* .".'.' '„•"; •'._'. '.'■ 'k- -•;-----; - Mr Brodrick absolved cthose who had promised tp vote for himV ' " -*' ' '.. . rAftef. sbme further jvremarks from Messrs* .Craig and Brodrick, ''A'-/Yi.kAV. , AA'Ak' il The Chairman called for a show of hands .or the. latter; gentleman-, \yho was /elected unanimously. '.-_.., Mr. Brodrick returned thanks. ... : ; Mr Macrorie referred to the. approaching visit of His Excellency^ "the Governor and the coming demonstration iri Connection with the volunteers; hoping the members of the Chamber; wouldliridividually give their couh-' tensince: to any . proceedings that might be ; instituted. . : , .■ „c ' .''- ...'.,••.'' Ak.Ak.";'k'"k.\:'-.., On; trie nibtion of" Mr. Cuthbertsori ; , fhe. President arid Messrs j. T. Martin and J. 'Fl 'Martin.- were appointed; a: committee to ascer- . tain',' if a ■more suitabre'place. of meeting could be obtained' ■'!••" !.: Mr-.,Brbdr^ck said that ..at, the last meetinghe had' moved that it was ;necessai'y; 'td .'get the rate of ""freight from th'e\'-Bluff'to Inyer-. cargill reduced,, in. staking' off ; the^'torriiirial' charge of ;, 2s 6d;^t ; 'each; '_ end, ;,A- : de^utatiori was forni'ed, which J waited ;i upbri 'Ministers, and got a kind,, of . prbmise from Mr Biillance that he would 1 attend to it ; 'bringing the* subject" before the Minister of Works". He also said that he could clearly see that it was a burden which feli?heavily on goods ori account ot the distance of Inyercargiil, from its port. He thought they- should: urge upon Government the necessity of carrying goods between'jthese places -by weight instead, of by ships' bills of lading.. It. would save 150 per cent.' on cheap, light measurement goods. 'It would be veiy little extra trouble foi .all"---shippers to weigh their goods before shipping them.' ' ;'' Several members spoke anent the niatter, and it was finally resolved to again deputationise Ministers. , ;;..:, ■. „' Ak-.., ■. . Mr Cuthbertspn's name Avasr added tp,;th'e deputation. . .... ■..:. k- "' '.'■'. '■-. „ 'kAk The Chamber then adjourned.