CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CONFERENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2477, 16 April 1909, Page 5

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE CONFERENCE.

INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER. [Pee Press Association.] •WELLINGTON, April 15. The delegates from the Chamber of Commerce concluded their business this afternoon, and then waited on the Prime Minister. Air. W. G. Duthie, president of the conference, read the more important resolutions of the conference. In replying Sir Joseph Ward said that some alteration in the Bankruptcy Act was. essential. The whole matter was now being investigated by the Government with a view to submitting f&oposak, if possible, to the coming session of Parliament. In regard to Harbor Board representation, be thought there should still be some nominated members. Enormous responsibilities rested on the Boards, and they ■must remember there was scarcely one Board that had not obtained large sums of money outside New Zealand. Drastic changes could not be brought about without the people who had lent these enormous sums of money being considered, so that tliey would know what security there was for their loans. Regarding the) mail service, what was heeded was a good mail and passenger service to the untry by the quickest route (voices “All Red”). Sir -soph! Ward isaid personally he had tried for the All Red route for a long time. An Auckland man had said that possibly the San Francisco service could be secured if Now Zealand would move in tho matter, but he believed it was not possible to get steamers to run for a bonus anything near the last one. New Zealand had repeatedly offered to pay a. subsidy for fhe Vancouver line touching at New Zealand. The Federal Government,, however, was giving a considerable subsidy, but Brisbane was included in tho ports of call! There was no doubt that- Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand combined could get one of the finest All Red services to England. Ho proposed to have the question of tho sinking funds c.ommisioner investigated by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament. He believed in cable rates oeing cheapened. If other contributors to the_ Pacific service supported the line as New Zealand j has done, a reduction would have been j forthcoming in a short time. He j hoped the Imperial Press Conference j would take up the subject. In reference to the resolution asking that the mortgage tax should be abolished and iri lieu thereof income derived from tbo investment of capital bo made subject to income tax, Sir Joseph Ward said that such an alteration would involve more taxation. If they understood that, he was not indisposed to meet them. There seemed to be grave misapprehension on the part of those advocating this change. How was it all the great investing companies which came to New Zealand did so when a mortgage tax was in operation at tho 'rate of 33 1-3 per cent higher than the present one. and had carried on without murmur or complaint ? Several companies went out of the country later, but it was not the mortgage tax that caused this. It was the Advances to Settlers Department, which lent money at a lower rate. The graduated land "tax was a matter of great importance, but they must remember there were difficulties in. providing taxation to meet the country’s requirements. The graduated tax and the extra tax imposed were to prevent the grun-tit or-ia.tgc- -txv- l'" pared to look into the application or the tax to what he called ordinary business premises, and, if injustice were being done, it should be capable of removal. Replying to the request ior compulsory military training, Sir Joseph Ward said that the general term compulsion implied that every man m the country would have to submit to a period of drill. No such scheme was practicable, unless a very great number of exemptions were provided for, and he did not think it would be acceptable to the country. During next session, however, proposals would be submitted making radical alterations in the present system. He believed they would meet the wishes of those who desired some such scheme as had been submitted.