NB Harper 1941

Better To Say It In A Letter

MR. N. B. HARPER, president of the Chamber ofCommerce, believes that a letter to a Minister is a more satisfactory form of approach than a deputation. "Ministers are too busy — or should be — to receive deputations," he said yesterday. The Chamber of Commerce accordingly will not arrange a deputation to ask the Minister for Works (Mr. Bruce) to consider quarterly registration of motor

cars. The Chamber's proposal will be set out in a letter.

Courier Mail Saturday 15 February 1941 page 4

ESSENTIAL STOCKS

PREPARING FOR EMERGENCY ADDRESS TO LOCAL COMMITTEE:

At the instigation of the State Government, the President of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce (Mr. N. B. Harper) is visiting the principal coastal cities to organise local committees for the purpose of building up reserves of essential commodities against possible, emergency.

Mr. Harper arrived in Cairns by plane yesterday, after a direct flight from the metropolis. On his arrival at Cairns he was met by Mr. H. F. G. Fogarty, president of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce.

This morning Mr. Harper will pay an official call on the Mayor (Ald. W. A. Collins), and later on the senior military officer (CoL H. C. Harris), the Inspector of Police (Inspector P. J.; Honan), and the District Superintendent of Northern Railways (Mr. G. Hayes). At 11 a.m. he will meet the Cairns Essential Supply Committee, which consists of the Police Magistrate (Mr. T. E. Dwyer). Mr. W. N. Dupain (Messrs. Burns, Philp Ltd.), Mr. P. Farrelly (Messrs. Cummins and Camp- bell), Mr. J. M. Ledlie (Messrs. Arm- strong, Ledlie and Stillman), and Mr. H. M. Podosky (Messrs. Samuel Allen Pty. Ltd.). At 3 pm. Mr. Harper will address the Cairns Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Harper stated last night that he would reserve Tuesday for individual discussions with merchants and large retail stockists and manufacturers who may have problems that are peculiar to their particular businesses. He will return to Townsville on Wednesday.

Cairns Post Monday17 February 1941 page 4

BUILDING UP RESERVES.

Mr. Harper at Cairns.

CAIRNS, February 17.— In furtherance of a State-wide scheme to build up reserves of essential commodities against possible emergency, the President of the Brisbane Chamber ofCommerce (Mr. Harper) to-day ad dressed members of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and local merchants. He stressed the importance of the main distributing centres along the coast, such as Cairns, paying particular attention to see that reserve stocks were well held in outlying smaller consuming centres, such as Normanton, Mungana, Croydon, For sayth, Cooktown, Mt. Garnet, an Tableland towns. Replying to a question as to what financial assistance would be given by the Government towards establishing reserve stocks in cases where financial responsibility could not be under taken by smaller re-sellers and store keepers, Mr. Harper said this matter was at the present time being closely

examined by the Federal and State Governments. He added that the Far North's problem was flour, which could be stored only for six weeks due to atmospheric conditions. The Essential Supplies Committee in Brisbane had set up a special sub committee of four to fully investigate the problem, including the possible establishment of special depots in selected centres.
Townsville Daily Bulletin Tuesday18 February 1941 page 5

EMERGENCY STOCKS.

Mr N. B. Harper, president of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce, will arrive in Rockhampton this morning to discuss with local merchants and traders matters of reserve and emergency stocks. A meeting has been arranged for tomorrow afternoon at 3o'clock for this purpose.
Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton) Wednesday 26 February 1941 page 6

Build Up Reserve

Stocks Of Goods

Mr N. B. Harper To Address Merchants

In his capacity as a member of the Central Essential Supplies Committee and chairman of the Foodstuffs Advisory Sub-committee, Mr N.. B. Harper, president of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce, will address a joint meeting of the Chamber ofCommerce and Em- ployers' Association this afternoon on the necessity for building up stocks of essential commodities.
Mr Harper said yesterday that the purpose of his tour, which had involved visits to the larger provincial cities of the State, was to impress on merchants the need for creating reserves of essential goods, raw materials for industry, clothing, and general stores, with particular reference to the range of commodities essential to the civil population of the State.
Undertaking this mission at the request of the State Government, Mr Harper left Brisbane on February 16 by plane and since then has visited Cairns, Townsville and Mackay, where he has met members of the local essential supplies committees and Chambers of Commerce and has explained the working of the scheme.
The Government, he said, had felt that the building up of reserve stocks was best left in the hands bf commercial houses, which had the experience, knowledge and facilities to handle the problem most efficiently and with the least possible expense to the community. In inviting him to undertake the mission, which includes the organising of local committees in the main centres, the Government felt that discussions conducted by him as a commercial man, with commercial men, would eliminate a lot of unnecessary delay.

VISIT TO MT MORGAN.

Yesterday Mr Harper visited Mt Morgan and met the chairman (Mr T. W. Chenery) and other members of the Mt Morgan Chamber of Commerce. He dis- cussed with them local problems and points regarding the working of the scheme that are peculiar to the town and district.
"The traders of Mt Morgan definitely impressed me as being most enthusiastic and willing to cooperate in building up local stocks for the benefit of the civil community," he said.
This morning Mr Harper will meet the Rockhampton essential supplies committee, which has been appointed by the Government. It comprises the Police Magistrate as chairman, the senior military officer, Lieutenant Colonel W. H. Parker, and Messrs A. G. Huggett, H. S. Beaney, A. H. Francis, H. Myles, B. G. Wilkinson and F. A. Horner. The General Manager of the Central Division Railways (Mr H. Griffith) and Inspector Moloney will attend at the invitation of the chair-, man, as observers.
This afternoon Mr Harper and General W. G.. Thompson, president of the Rockhampton Chamber of Commerce, will interview the Mayor and will discuss with him matters connected with the provision of reserve supplies of materials used in the operation of public utilities.
At 3 p.m. Mr Harper will address the joint meeting of the Chamber of Commerce and Employers' Association, at the office of the association.
Friday Mr Harper will spend in private discussions with merchants onany points of the scheme connected with their individual businesses.
Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton Thursday 27 February 1941 page 4
On Wednesday next he will place a report covering his tour before the Minister for Health and Home Affairs (Mr Hanlon).

MEETING HARDSHIP IN CAR REGISTRATIONS

Apart from deciding to ask the Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce to refer to it any cases of hardship, the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce took no action yesterday on the Goondiwindi chamber's request to seek quarterly payment of motor registrations in Queensland as in New South Wales. The president (Mr. N. B. Harper) reported that inquiries had shown that the New South Wales quarterly system involved higher payments. Those pay ments were £1, then 27 per cent of the annual registration fee. plus a registration fee of 5/ each quarter, and 2/6 for a certificate of fitness. Inquiries at the Main Roads Com mission had revealed that genuine cases of hardship in paying the registration fee in one sum were met sympathetically in Queensland, Mr. Harper added.

Courier Mail Friday 14 March 1941 page 11

BUSINESSMEN HELP

BRISBANE, July 13.

"The commercial community has done a great deal to meet the new petrol rationing restrictions, and, taken as a whole, is continuing to explore every avenue for further economy," said the president of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce (Mr. N. B. Harper) yesterday.

He was commenting on the appeal by the Liquid Fuel Controller (Mr. J. E. England) for voluntary cooperation by business interests.

Mr. Harper added that he knew of several firms which were voluntarily saving hundreds of gallons of petrol. The Liquid Fuel Control Board chair-man (Mr. J. C Lamont) said that during the last fortnight a special officer, seconded from the Main Roads Com-mission, had been making contact with various firms and organisations to prevent overlapping and save petrol.

Cairns Post Monday 14 July 1941 page 4

SALES TAX ANOMALIES

BRISBANE, September 25.— It was somewhat ridiculous that the Common wealth Government had found it impossible, so far, to set up a Parliamentary Committee to deal with sales tax anomalies, said the retiring President of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce (Mr. N. B. Harper) at the Chamber's annual meeting to-day. Sales tax anomalies urgently needed rectification, he said. Mr. Harper also advocated greater use by the Australian Governments of the experience and advice of Industrial and commercial leaders in dealing with war time and post-war problems. With commerce playing an important part in the nation's war effort. It could not afford to be beset with handicaps resulting from Government regulations and administrative decisions, based on unsound principles, and given without sufficient knowledge and experience of the subject to which theywere related. The Government of Australia had available the tested ability of industtrial and commercial leaders, whose knowledge and experience would be of great value in the formulation of plant, regulations and administrative procedure.

Mr. K Q. Hinwood was elected President unopposed. He came to Brisbane from Victoria in 1929 as Queensland Manager of the Australian General Electric Pty.

Townsville Daily Bulletin Saturday 27 September 1941 page 7