CONFERENCE ENDS

Southland Times, Issue 20617, 16 October 1928, Page 7

CONFERENCE ENDS

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ADDRESS ON SAWMILLING INDUSTRY OPPOSITION TO MARKETING PROPOSALS ' (Per United Presa AMOclatioa.) Wellington, October 15. At the final sitting to-day of the conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, Mr H. P. Caughley, of Auckland, was unanimously elected president and Mr C. P. Agar, of Christchurch, was elected vice president. The election of the executive resulted as follows: Messrs H. 8. E. Turner (Canterbury) ; H. C. Campbell (Dunedin); E. Salmond and C. M. Bowden (Wellington); W. J. Gilberd (Wanganui). x An address was given by Mr J. L. Butler on the sawmilling industry. He referred to the recent special committee’s report aS to the steps necessary to make the industry more efficient and to the proposed Bill along those lines proposing an investigation of more efficient conditions of marketing. Mr C. P. Agar said the marketing proposals were a step towards compulsion which the Chambers of Commerce‘had opposed for years. While they liked Mr Butler, they did not like his Bill and said that proposals in the direction of compulsion would be vigorously opposed when the Bill came before Parliament. The following remits were carried: That this conference expresses appreciation of the effort made by the Railway Department to improve the South Island main trunk railway service by putting on night trains and that they be urged to continue to extend their efforts along these lines which are proving beneficial to the public, (Invercargill); That the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce explore means of stabilizing exchange on London and of preventing any recurrence of the exchange dislocations which occurred in 1921 and 1924 and for this purpose be authorized to co-operate such persons as they think fit (Canterbury) ; That in the opinion of this, conference, the power of local authorities to raise loans without the approval of the ratepayers should be restricted rather than extended (Auckland) ; That this conference is of the opinion that the cash order system is inimical to the interests of the community and that legislation should be brought down immediately to prohibit same (Executive); That this conference is of the opinion that in any further alterations to the Customs tariff, the commission dealing with same should be generally representative and not consist wholly of civil servants as at present (Wanganui) ; That the Government be urged to have the accounts of local bodies audited more promptly (Stratford); That legislation be introduced to provide for a reversion to Id stamp duty on cheques und receipts instead of*2d as at present. (Wanganui) ; That this conference again records its disappointment at the failure of the Government to put into effect many of the recommendations of the taxation commission of 1924 (Wellington) ; That this conference recommends the Government to introduce legislation similar to the rejected clause of the 1924 Finance Bill to place employers in the same position as Government departments inasmuch as military pay granted to employees while attending a military training camp should be regarded as a set off against the wages paid to such employees while in camp (Wellington) ; That this conference is of the opinion that the Bankruptcy Act should be further amended and provision incorporated for, (a), the appointment of private trustees in bankruptcy; (b) a more precise definition of books of account and records to be kept by traders, (c) the payment by the State of the expenses of extradition of absconding debtors (Wellington). The next conference is to he held at Auckland.