CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7176, 29 May 1891, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

♦ Quarterly Meeting. The following is the President's report at the meeting held thiß afternoon :-— Your Committee has, during the past quarter, attended four meetings, at which the following business of interest to the Chamber was dealt with : — Wool Dumping. — The enquiries made into the complaints of several shippers, that excessive dumping had been applied . to some shipments of wool during last winter, causing _evere loss, have resulted in the owners of dumping plant giving their written assurance that no effort will be spared 'on- their part to exercise every caution, so that no blame may be attached to them in future ; but, on their part, they urge all shippers of scoured wool ta see that it is thoroughly dry, as if it is not they cannot fairly be held responsible for results. Congress of Chambers of Commerce in London. — This Chamber having been invited to appoint delegates to attend the 1 Congress, the Committee has decided to request Mesers F. E. A. Graham and J. Gould to act. Shortage of Trucks.— The scarcity of . trucks having been much felt during the past season, prominently those specially suited to the conveyance of frozen mutton,, your Committee considered the advisability of taking further action in the matter. ! It was decided, as the Commissioners, I although fully recognising the pre3B_ng j nature of the case, were unable to act ; for want of funds, to urge upon the j Government the expediency of furnishing : the Commissioners with a sufficient amount |to provide the trucks required. This was accordingly done, with the result already | published, viz., a promise from the Governj ment that an amount sufficient for the | purpose would be sanctioned. j Bills of Lading. — This very vital quesj tion to shippers is now engaging the atten- ; tion of the London and Colonial Chambers iof Commerce. To put the matter of dißi agreement as concisely as possible, owners of steamships at Home have gradually j added clause by clause to bills of lading with the result that they have very nearly ! perfect freedom with regard to goods .in their hands as carriers without j any liability as to condition and time of j delivery. All that is asked for by shippers j is a bill of lading equitable alike to both | parties, but the steamship owners refuse to meet and discuss the question. As this appears most unfair, your Committee is i endorsing the aotion of the London and other Chambers in protesting against the action of the owners. Since the Committee had the above in hand regarding English bills of lading, I notice that Mr G. G. Stead haß approached the Premier on the question of bills of lading signed in New Zealand by masters of vessels bound for foreign ports, and he suggests that these ought to contain the same clauses with regard to responsibility as those used in the trade within the Colony. It is quite reasonable that both cases should be placed on the same footing, and it is satisfactory that the Government appeared to see its way to introduce a Bill dealing with the subject. Bankruptcy Consolidation Bill, 1890. — The draft Bill has been considered by a Sub -Committee, who found that the several clauses recommended by the Chamber for insertion in a previous Bill had been attended to, and considered the Bill as a whole to be an improvement in the way of a better administration of bankruptcy matters. Since the Bill was under the consideration of your Committee, the Auckland Chamber has forwarded a copy of its recommendations, which are being looked into, and as they tend in the direction of insisting that all bankrupts should complete a full set of books according to a schedule provided, and that bankrupts' certificate of discharge should be of different degree, according to the deserts of each case, I think it probable the Committee would be in favour of adopting them. State of Trade. — The general impression appears to be that but slight improvement haß taking place in the volume of business for last quarter in comparison with the one preceding. Whilst trade is devoid of anything that might be construed into briskness, there is still the same sound feeling about it, and payments have been kept up in a satisfactory manner, thanks partly to the adjustment of credits by the merchants, extra inducements being given for cash payments. Results of Harvest. — The statistics of the harvest just completed having been so recently published, I will not take up your time by repeating them. They show a very considerable falling off in the yield — about twenty-five per cent in the staple crops ; they also show the area of land in crop to be very much less than usual, which fact under the circumstances of the bad season must, I think, be satisfactory, the cause being probably partly the low prices of the previous season, but in many cases within my own knowledge the result of farmera deciding to pay more attention to sheep, in which case the lobb will be much less to the Province than contemplated.- The considerable advance in the price of grain would also materially assist in making up for tbe bad yield. Postal Rates. — The question of a reduced rate of postage within the Colony would have been brought npfor the consideration of the Chamber, as in face of the rate to the United Kingdom of 2£d, our rate of 2d within the Colony would be absurd. It iB pleasing, however, to note that the Government has already considered the matter, and is proposing ld aB the rate which will bear a fair proportion for the work done to the Home rate. Cargo Steamers. — Little did we think a few years ago that New Zealand would be so well supplied with the means of transporting her rapidly-increasing exports to the markets of the world, or that importers would have offered them a steam service of such excellent quality at sailer rates. The main advantage to merchants is that, combined with the reduced cable rates now offered by Reuter'B Company, they will be enabled to turn over stocks more quickly, and by this means may see a little return for their labour, which has not been the case of late. Population.— The returns of- the census recently completed, and with which you are familar, although only confirming what was anticipated, owing to the number that have left our shores during the last few years, are, nevertheless, none the more pleasant to realise. Whilst we do not grudge the Wellington Province the prosperity the natural position of the capital 1 and the opening up in small holdings of I the back country must of necessity proi duce, we are face to face with the fact that I Canterbury has not progressed aa she I ought. It is satisfactory to note that the I oft-repeated contention of this Chamber is j being generally accepted throughout New ! Zealand, viz., that the population should : be increased by inducing desirable farming ! settlers to join us and assist in developing • the resources of thiß naturally fertile ' country. | Midland Bailway. — It must have caused ' the members of this Chamber much ' surprise, on perusing the statements of , both sides regarding the proposed deviai tion, to notice on what trivial grounds this most important work to New Zealand j generally was delayed by the Government. j The prompt action of the Railway League iB much to be commended, and I trust they ! will not reßt on their oars until not only j this question is settled, but every effort is j made to get the railway pushed on to I completion. The League, I am certain, j may rest assured that this Chamber will always be ready to do what lies in itß power to assist them. The question of the desirability or otherwise of this railway ha_ been well threshed out by the House > and the Colony, and deoided in the affirma--1 tive, therefore Canterbury should brook no 1 hindrance to this most vital necessity to 1 her future progress and prosperity.