CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19137, 21 October 1927, Page 13

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

TO THE EDITOS OF THE PKEtSS. Sir,—lt is particularly interesting to see from correspondence in your columns that some members of the Chamber are sufficiently alive to protest i against the recent high-handed action ! of the Council. As representatives of j the business interests of Christchurch j they should at least, to have been equit- : able, sought the- sanction* of the whole . Chamber before making such an appointment against the express vote of the members. Is i't the desire of the members of the Council to make themselves a close corporation or have seen <<the writing on the wall'' and their only means of combating re-orga-nisation so badly wanted is to pack their side of the house. Isn't it time the business community of Christchurch realised the need for active co-ordina-tion amongst its leading members and associations and .a little less self.— Yours, etc.. * DISGUSTED. 10 *HE EDITOR OX TEX ?BISS. Sir,—The letters on the above subject which have appeared recently are interesting, and as a past member of the Council I am amused. The Chamber has suffered for many years because of conservative sectional members gaining control, and recently this has

apparently been accentuated to the extent of causing a "flutter in the dove cot." Two very active members were defeated at a recent election of the Council, and subsequently steps were taken to have them appcAuted as honorary members, -which hiKMyen ri*e to a great deal of criticisiMMft certainlv seems strange that tUBS members should accept a gratuitous'insult on the one hand and an honorary bouquet on the other. t I-would feel more like Mr C. P. A~ar -who in a recent interview stated most emphatically "that after the Mayoral election he -was done with public iife' ; ' If the members of the Chamber did not want these two gentlemen on the Council, why accept a back-door recognition designated "honorary?" I should be very much surprised if the members concerned were to accept the appointment. —Yours, etc., INTERESTED. October 20th, 1927.

TO THE EDITOR 0? THE JBtSS. Sir,—l reckon that the committee of management of any institution knows better what itWes to the members that have passed through its committees than do any yearly gathering at an annual meeting, few of whom have taken any special interest in the work of the Chamber. On such occasions momentary decisions are made, based on often erroneous ideas. An active member who has carried through special work is apt to have trod ou the toes of people not quite so active. One at least of the members alluded to has done for the Chamber work of a thorough description, taking up niahts of time, and giving stimulus to others much in excess of the average Chamber of Commerce member. Ingratitude was one of the weak spots in Kings, and is often conspicuous in Democracy. A forceful man intent on his objective is not likely to be a popular man, but he is doing twice the work the popular member of an organisation does. — Yours, etc.. AX OLD MEMBER. October 20th.