CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1718, 22 April 1862, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

On Thursday last, April 17th, a special meeting of the members of the Chamber of Com* merce was held at the offices of Messrs. Bethuue & Hunter, Exchange Buildings, for the purp ose of takingimo consideration the negotiations

. which have been entered into by the Hon. the Postmaster General at Melbourne and Sydney, 1 with reference to the Steam Postal Service- \ There was a very larj»e attendance, aud much interest was taken in the proceedings. The following members were present, viz.: — W. M. ' Biinnatync, Esq., Chairman, W. W. Taylor, , Esq , Deputy-Chairman, the Hon. John Johnston, ALL. C, and Messrs. Bethune, Bowler,' J. Cartel-, C. 11. Carter, G. Crawford, Dran^field, Duncan, Joseph, Krull, Levin, Ledger, Lyon, Luxford, Pearce, Pharaiyn, Rhodes, Smith, Spinks, Stokes, Stuart, Vennell, and Woodward. On the motion of the Chairman, .Mr. Woodward, in the absence of Mr. Grimstone, consented to act as Secretary. The Chairman said, that the meeting had , been called, in consequence of his having re--1 ceived a numerously signed requisition, for the purpose of taking into consideration the arrangements which it was reported the Hon. Mr. Ward, the Postmaster General, hud made relative to the Steam Postal Service. The subject was a very important one, and it would be for the meeting to express their assent to, or dissent from the arrangements which had been made. In reply to Mr. James Smith, he said, that a private letter had been rec-ived from Mr. Ward, but no official notification had been, as he was aware, published. The Chairman then read the letter in question, the principal points of which have already been published in this journal. He concluded by observing that the arrangements, theiein referred to, would probably be carried out, unless a strong expres siou of opinion from the Provinces to the cmtrary was not immediately given. In reply to Mr. Smith Mr. Johnston said he was not in possession of any information on the subject. Mr. Bowler said he was about proposing a resolution condemnatory of Mr. Ward's arrangements, which if carried out, as every merchant there well knew, tvould be seriously injurious to the trade and port of Wellington, aud to their local Steam Navigation Company. When they purchased the Wonga they declined to run her in the Auckland trade because their was no trade or traffic between the two places, and though atrade might be forced between Wellington and Auckland via Napier, the latter or the two latter would be alone benefited thereby. Mr. Ward had entirely deceived the Chambers, for not one of them could anticipate that he was going to Melbourne to make such arrangements as he was reported to hare done. He was startled wheu he heard what Mr Ward had done for he was su.re that when here the Chamber had not given him any reason to suppose that they approved of being cut off the truak line to Melbourne, ox that they were in favour of his proposals. He had evidently resolved upon the course he intended to pursue before leaving Auckland and be bad heard positively that the White Swan had been bar gained for before he came here. If Wellington would have the visits of more steamers owing to his arrangements this was because they could not he well avoided. It was a consequence of our central position, and for which therefore no subsidy ought either to be asked or given. The subject was one of those on which it was necessary for the Chamber to make a stand. He trusted that the Chamber would co-operate with him in opposing any subsidy being granted. Mr. Bowler, after referring tothe success which had attended their local efforts to obtain steamers of their own, concluded by moving the following resolution : — " That the Chamber, having reason to believe that arrangements have been made by the Hon. the Post-master General of New Zealand, for the •employment of steam vessels to maintain communication between the various provinces of the Colony, different from those now in operation, feel it to be their duty to express their dissent and disapproval of the same, for tho following reasons : — " First— Because this Chamber is of opinion that the Colony has reached that stage in its progress when the Provincial Governments, rather than the General Government, are the better authorities to deal with the subject of increased inter-provin-cial communication where required. '_' ' Second—That when Mr. Crosbie Ward explained his intended alterations in tho general mail steam service, such was substantially the reply he received from this and the other settlements with which he placed himself in communication. " ' Third — That this Chamber considers that it would be fair, wise and politic on the part of the Government of New Zealand, before entering upon or concluding any contract for the performance of any steam service, to is3ue advertisements in the Colony calling for tenders to undertake the service, before, or at the same time, application is made to ship-owners out of the Colony.'" Mr. James Smith bad great pleasure in seconding the resolution, as he thought it was the duty of the Chamber to thwart if they could Mr. Ward's arrangements. The Provincial Government has had nothing whatever to do with them, and it was possible that the Fox Ministry had not given them their sanction. All the evidence he had heard went to prove this. If this was not so then he could have no confidence in any arrangements in which Mr. Sewell had had a voice, after what he had seen of his doings in the contract with the Coleman Company. He would petition the General Assembly to have nothing at all to do with Mr Ward's arrangements, which would prove as injurious to the Colony as those previously made by his colleague Mr. Sevvell. We could establish local banks, local insurance companies, and their local steam company was in a position to purchase a third steamer, and to supply their Provincial wants, if they had a fair stage, for they wanted no favour. The best thing they could do would be to knock Mr. Ward's arrangements on the head. (Hear, ' Hear, aud laughter). Captiiu Rhodes thought the least thing the Government could have done before embarkinging in a grand scheme of the kind referred to would have been to advertise for tenders. It was the duty of the Government to foster— if he might so express it— home institutions. A large portion of the proceeds and profits of the Inter-Colonial Company were spent out of the Colony, whereas tho greater portion of those received by their local ompany was expended in Wellington, and it had been the means of induciug a number of hardy and mdustrious men to settle here. He was not aware that this was the case with any of the masters, or mates of the boats belonging to the Inter-Colonial Company (Hear). He fell ceitain that Wellington was iv a position to purchase a steamer (it to run between this port and Sydney, or between Wellington and Oiago, and if YVellington was iv such a position how much "more so were the wealthy communities of the South? (Hear, hear). He believed that seven or eight vessels were owned already by Canterbury and probably as many more by Otago, under these circumstances it would be admitted that it was Air. Ward's duty to advertise for tenders in New Zealand, before concluding his arrangements. Wanganui itself was taking measures to get a steamer suitable for that port double tonage of those possessed by Wellington, and he had no doubt they would succeed, and if Wanganui could do this, in how much better position were other ports iv the colony to furnish any ateameis

there trade and interests required? (Hear hear.) They had comparitively but little trade with Auckland, but there was a great trade growing up with the South, though the steamers the colony svere required to subsidise would not answer the purpose. Instead of assenting to subsidise a steamer to Sydney, the Government should subsidise one purchased by Wellington, to run between this port and the South Their own Company had been very successful, and unless swamped by General Government arrangements they would s»on be in a position to do without a subsidy. From a memorandum he held in his hands, giving the approximate amounts paid by the Wellington Steam Navigation Company, and expended in Wellington during the past year, he found that the total sum thus distributed amounted to more than £10,700, out of which near £4000 were paid in wages. In addition to this £10,000 they had paid for the Storm Bird £3543, and insurance £1220. They had paid 10 per cent, to their shareholder/?, and could if the Directors thought it prudent have paid more, for they had a balance of some £2000 at the bank. If Mr. Ward had given them the opportunity they could have bought a vessel suitable for the purpose, and have worked her at a less bonus than that he had promised to houses out of the colony. There was always a considerable amount of capital lying dormant which could be made available on occasions like the present when the Government was anxious to proraotesteam commuuication. If this was not the case at Wellington, the price sunk on land in the South, which was not at the figure paid for it a very profitable investment, proved that there was there at all events money sufficient to invest in the purchase of suitable steamers for either inter-colonial or inter-pjovincial service. It was very unfortu nate that they should have to be hampered with the Coleman Company for so long a period, for he thought the time had come when they could supply their own wants and start for themselves. They had started a bank of their own, and he did not see any difficulty in their supplying themselves with all the steamers required either for passengeis, cargo, or the postal service. He cordially approved of the resolution before the Chamber. (Cheers). Mr. Dransfield Cully concurred in the remarks which had been made by the previous speakers. He considered that great injustice had been done to Wellington by the Post-master General in not advertising for tenders before concluding the contMCt. One of the principal Directors of the VVellington Steam Navigation Company had told Mr. Ward when heie that the Company was in a position, and would be prepared to purchase a suitable vessel for the perfor raance of the Inter-Provincial Service, if allowed the opportunity ; under these circumstances it was, to say the least, unfair on the part of Mr. Ward to conclude a contract for the employment of Melbourne boats without giving their local Company or a firm in the Colony, the slightest chance of competing for the contract. They ought to stop such proceedings by all the means in their power, and to let the Post Master General and the Government know that they would not sanction them. (Hear, hear). The Chairman before putting the resolution observed that he would himself have preferred that a strong protest agaiust Mr. Ward's arrangements, rather than the present resolution had been proposed ; for he felt more strongly ou the subject than its language conveyed. Mr. Spinks said, the stronger the resolution was made the better it «vould suit the Chamber. The chairman then put the resolution, when it was carried unanimously. Mr. R. J. Duncan said he had another resolution to submit to the meeting, but sho uld not support it at any length as he found that the meeting was unanimous in condemning Mr. Ward's arrangements. If it had not been so, he should have been prepared to enter. fully into the question and he thought he could have proved that it would have been impossible for the General Government to have derised a scheme that could have acted more injuriously on the port and trade of Wellington. With reference to the inter provincial service, they could return the same reply to the General Government as the merchants of Lyons once returned to a King of France, who professed his anxiety to promote their interests by intennedliiig in matters in which they, rather than he, were interested. " Leave us alone" was their reply, and the same advice could be appropriately given to the General Government with regard to inter-proviucial communication. So long as Auckland remained the seat of Government, there was no objection for that port being placed on the trunk line of communication with Sydney ; but the coastal service ought to be left to be arranged by the Provinces themselves and this was wliat the different settlements had in effect told Mr. Ward. He would not detain the meeting longer at that late hour, and therefore begged to mo/c That copies of the preceding resolution he forwarded to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary of New Zealand, and to the members of the. House of Representatives for this Province, with a request that in any future or amended arrangements respecting steam services for maintaining interprovincial communication, they would recommend and support proceedings in accordance with the foregoing resolution. Mr. Woodward seconded the resolution, which, on being put was carried nein. con. The meetiug theu separated.