BUSINESSMEN’S INTERESTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 75, 3 September 1947, Page 5

BUSINESSMEN’S INTERESTS

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING MURUPARA DELEGATES ATTEND Mr Rex Morpeth presided at the meeting of the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce last Thursday evening. Present: Messrs. H. F. Warren, S. Armstrong, J. Creeke, R. Butler, T. Jordan, E. R. Dillicar, R. Tysson, J. Neilsen and the secretary, Mr C. W. Good.

The Chamber’s representations to ~the Minister of Lands, through the .Associated Chambers of Commerce, with reference to the exemption of sections' valued at less than £IOO, from the Land Sales Court received reply from the Minister ill the negative.

The Minister stated that, careful consideration had been given . the matter but the Government was satisfied that there was no real justification for varying the Act and no valid reason why persons purchasing that class of land should be given a free hand. If it were reasonable that sections below , a certain figure should be exempted from the Act, it would be reasonable that all should be exempt. It was noted also that the local branch of the R.S.A. had disassociated itself from the Whakatane appeal.

Mr Warren said he understood that the local R.S.A. had disassociated itself only on account of the somewhat tactless manner in which the matter was first handled.

Aerodrome Site

Mr H. G. Warren mentioned that little more had been done in connection with this matter since the meeting of the Club which had been published some time ago. The sum of £IOO had definitely been set aside 7 for surveying the sandhill site.

The Chairman: ' This matter has dragged on for years now in Whakatane. We have just got to have something done this time and the onus, is on the Chamber to do its utmost.

Mr G. Cawte reported that the County Council had agreed to fully support the Borough in its efforts, -and that the sub-committee set up to further the matter had the unanimous support of the Council behind it.

Waipoua Forest Protection

The Chamber decided to support the appeal for the preservation of the WaipoUa Kauri Forest, as sponsored by the Forest and Bird Society and which will take the form pf a petition for presentation to Parliament.

Mr Dillicar said that he would like to know more about the arguments behind the Government’s action in cutting out some of the trees. He did not feel satisfied to think that the Government would deliberately go into the" bush and destroy kauris for fun. He raised the fire issue, and said that when he visited the Kaingaroa Plains recently he fairly trembled to think of what would happen if anyone dropped a match. There might be another side to the question!

The chairman said he knew the forest personally, and as a national asset it could never be replaced, being the only substantial stand of kauris left in the country.