MIDLAND LINE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18217, 30 October 1924, Page 8

MIDLAND LINE.

A PREFERENTIAL RATE. WELLINGTON PROTESTS. (rKESS ASSOCIATION" TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, October 20. "Wellington's sea trade with the West Coast is threatened," said Mr A. McKenzie at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to-day. when a letter was read from some Greymouth merchants stating that they had had private advice to the effect that the Minister of Railways was in favour of giving preference to certain goods railed through the tunnel. Mr 11. 1). Bennett said he did not think the Chamber should traffic in local squabbles. There evidently was a feud between East and West going on in the South Island. . Mr A. McKenzie said that if Christchurch merchants were going to have cheap rates through the tunnel it would make a great deal of difference to Wellington's sea trade with the Coast. Mr Bennett: The Chamber is not a bodv for the interests of the merchants of Wellington pure and simple. Mr J. R. Simpson: Wo are not a New Zealand Chamber of Commerce. We represent the merchants of Wellington. The matter is of great concern to us, as it will be the carnage of coal and timber that will be chiefly affected.

Mr Mvers: I think that it concerns Wellington very much. I move that the letter be referred to the General Manager of Railways, together with a protest against any preferential trade being given on the West Coast line. The motion was carried unanimously.