COMMERCE IN MAIZE GRAIN 537 



23. Consignments dispatched by co operative societies to be regarded as CHAP, 

 from one consignor. XII. 



It was unanimously agreed to record an answer to an inquiry as to whether 

 a co-operative society when exporting maize was to be regarded in the light of a 

 firm entitled to forward as one consignor, that the position of the co-operative 

 society was the same for the purpose of the resolutions arrived at by this Con- 

 ference as a farmer or private individual. 



24. Certificate of weighing at ports. 



The following resolution was come to unanimously: " That in the opinion 

 of this Conference, where certificates of weight are required, a weighing of 10 

 per cent of the consignment be regarded as adequate to enable the official grader 

 to sign his certificate of weighing, and that to ensure uniformity of practice 

 measures be taken as soon as possible to ascertain what the practice is in this 

 respect in the case of exporters of maize from other parts of the world to Great 

 Britain ". 



509. Establishment of a Clearing House at Durban. — 

 Owing to the threatened congestion of the maize trade through 

 failure to secure shipping, the Durban Chamber of Commerce 

 approached the Natal Government with a suggestion that a 

 clearing house be established under government control and at 

 government expense. The Natal Government agreed, the 

 several parties concerned came to an agreement, and the 

 clearing house came into operation at the end of August, 

 1909. This in some considerable degree facilitated the ex- 

 port business,. and on occasions was instrumental in inducing 

 the Conference Lines to put on an extra steamer. It also 

 placed the merchants in a position to charter outside steamers 

 through the clearing house, and three of these were taken up 

 at intervals. But as the quantity of freight available was 

 small, and the low rate offered not very tempting, there was 

 no competition, and few outside steamers could be induced to 

 do business. Also the chartering of outside steamers was 

 subject to the consent of the Conference Lines (Rainnie, 2). 



510. Bloemfontein Conference, 18 and 19 January, 1910 — 



Present : — 



Railway Representatives : Sir Thomas Price, General Manager, C.S.A.R. ; 

 A. J. Robb, Assistant General Manager, C.G.R. ; W. Binns, C.G.R. ; J. 

 McConnachie, District Traffic Superintendent, N.G.R. ; John Rainnie, Durban 

 Harbour Captain; W. J. K. Skillicorn, N.G.R., General Manager's Office; S. 

 Seruya, C.F.L.M.; D. Watson, C.S.A.R.; G. S. Oettle, C.S.A.R. 



Chambers of Commerce: A. Keeling, Johannesburg; A. Lewis, East 

 London; M. W. Hayne, Durban; K. Spilhaus, Cape Town; Geo. Hobson , 

 Basutoland; W. Ehrlich, Bloemfontein; C. F. Kayser, Port Elizabeth; H. 

 Ruffel, O.R.C. Chamber of Commerce. 



Skipping Interests: L. MacLean, Union Castle Line; Otto Siedle, Natal 

 Direct Line' Durban ; A. H. Rennie, Natal ; VV. Macfarlane, Union Castle 

 Line, Durban. 



