Chathams link talks

Press, 30 June 1983, Page 9

Chathams link talks

Lyttelton businessmen have set up a working party to prepare submissions to present to the Internal Affairs Department in an effort to maintain the port’s link with the Chatham Elands. Mr A. H. Erdman, of Lyttelton Timber and. Hardware, Ltd, is the spokesman for the group which was formed at a meeting of interested people in the council chambers last evening. The other members of the working party are Mr M. H. Chapman, of Chapman’s Television, and Mr B. B. Lester, of Lester’s Mini Market. MrcErdman said he would

visit all the businessmen in Lyttelton to talk to those whose business would be affected by the Chatham Islands link. The working party will meet on Tuesday, July 5, at 7 p.m. Mr Erdman, who is a member of the delegation which will go to the Chatham Elands on July 13, said he wanted to be able to take some information with him to present to the Elanders. Mr J. F. Fitzgerald, of J. Voyce and Company, said that the businessmen should be surveyed so that a figure could be put on the amount of trade that would be lost if the Chatham Elapds link were to be mgyed to

Napier. The Internal Affairs Department did not accept educated guesses. It accepts facte and figures, Mr Fitzgerald said, and it did not appear that these facte and figures were forthcoming. Mr Erdman said he would not be prepared to put a figure on business with the Chathams, but said he would be prepared to give a percentage of hE total business. “I make no secret that I would probably have one or one and a half fewer staff (if the link were to move) but I wouldn’t want to divulge any of my figures,” he