CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1917, Page 5

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

FOSTERING EMPIRE TRADE. REQUEST FOR SAMOA TO BE RETAINED. , By .Tclegraph.-d?resg Association. Wellington, Nov. 29. The Chambers of Commerce conference adopted the following resolutions! That with the view of encouraging the establishment of new industries in the British Empire and giving a measure of confidence and security to tho capital to be embarked therein, as wall as to assist the expansion of existing industries, the Governments of the Empiro bo urged to make it obligatory on all Government departments, municipalities, lailwars, dock and harbor boards, gas water and electric light corporations,' and all such bodies spending public moneys or enjoying charters from the Government or other public authorities to purchase Empire-made'goodsr and to place nil contracts with British firms, exceptions to be made by special permission of the proper authority only in cases where such a course is considered to be at variance with, tho public interests.

That the New Zealand Government be asked to endeavour, when peace negotiations are in progress, to arrange that as a basis of future security in the Pacific, German Samoa be retained as a British possession; that in any negotiations for peace between the Allies and the Central Powers enemy Governments be compelled to make compensation for ships illegally destroyed, ship for ship or ton for ton. Another remit adopted recommended n lower scale of tonnage dues and port charges should apply in all British porta to British-owned vessels and that privj. ieges in v British ports should be accorded Allied and neutral shipping, equivalent only to the corresponding privileges accorded British shipping by Allied and neutral countries. Enemy shipping should pay in British ports nt least double the dues paid by any other shipping. It ftas also recommended that the Government should, by legislation empower harbour board authorities in the Donjinion to impose differential rates of tonnage, dock and wharf dues and port charges. TAXATION OF COMPANIES. The Chambers of Commerce Conference to-day discussed the question ~of taxation. It was urged that the present system of treating companies as individual taxpayers and of taxing the incomes of companies on a graduated scale is inflicting an injustice on -many shareholders and, if continued, must restrict the investment of capital in commercial pud industrial enterprises; that if graduated or progressive taxation on incomes is continued the tax should be levied on (he incomes from all sources of the taxpayers as individuals, including their interest as shareholders in the profits of companies; that the Government be requested to consent to the association with the officers of the Land «nil Income Tax Department of two or three business moil expert in financial matters and in the affairs of companies, with the object of the commission so constituted investigating the system of land and income taxation' in Now Zealand and recommending a more equitable system. This, aud other remits on the same subject, were adopted by the conference. BILLS OF LADING. ROADING PROPOSALS. Wellington, Last Night. At the Chambers of Commerce conference, Mr. James Mcintosh (Wellington) was re-elected president, W. Gow (Dunedin) being vice-president, and H. S. Boarn (Canterbury), F. J. Longburn (Invercargill), R, Harris (Auckland),. <C. M. Luke (Wellington Central), members of the executive. !

I A resolution was adopted, urging the Government to incorporate in legislation the principle that a bill of hiding, providing it has not been obtained by fraud or mistake, should, ipso facto, be deemed to be conclusive evidence of a shipping company's liability to deliver goods or pay the value thereof. A remit was adopted requesting the Government to solve the difficulty associated witli arterial roads, by putting into operation a scheme similar to the Victorian system, or that of the Central Government of the United States, which provides for construction and maintenance on a basis of CO per cent, of State payment and 0 per cent, time repayment system for the balance to be'apportioned among the interested local bodies. Such a scheme, it was suggested, would ba useful in furnishing employment for unskilled returned soldiers. Other remits recommended that thfii great main roads be constructed and maintained by the Government, the pres-' ent dual control being unsatisfactory'