MASTERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2574, 23 September 1915, Page 8

MASTERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The fifteenth annual report of the. Mastei'ton ' Chamber of Oommeree says :— This chamber has done but very little constructive work, our record is email, the-old problem 'of better communication with the sea board has had some attention but little real progress has been made, we still travel at a distrce-'ingly slow rate spending nvueli energy on a badly designed railway, that could we as a people but recognise as a. commercial and not a poHtical concern wo would not tolerate for a single , yc>ar, yet the empty. platitudes. of apparently earnest business men who are too busy in smaller affairs to master the facts of the Rimutaka problem, enables politicians to find an excuse for their neglect. It is -understood that survey parties are gathering further information as to routes, and it is also to bo feared tliat partisans are "pulling strings" for particular localities.-

There is reason to again urge' that others besides engineers and politicians should have a voice in deciding the route, and this chamber's suggestion made to the Ministers some year;! since lias lost none of its force; let three or five competent commercial men decide the location on the facts gathered by surveyors, and the requirements of the country to be served. It- may be assured that there is little prospect of an actual deviation work being put in hand in the near future, but none tho less it is- important to deliberately decideupon'a. route and thus possibly check eomo wasteful expenditure now going on. Another important transit question lias been studied .during the year at the instance of the Auckland chamber, that is the dominating influence of shipping rings on the affairs of the primary producers 'of:the country. Combinations of capital are dcisirablo for the economical and efficient marketing of our. products, but the .control of such combinations should bo held within this country and not 'outside if the best results are to be secured. The policy of full self-reliance 'is maiang slow : growth. Commercial ,racn here who are the .co-workers with the producers may well give this matter earnest attention. A direct result of the war and of the efficiency of the British Navy has been a plethora, of money for our products, not equalled in our history—most sections of the, community have shared in such benefits as this brings. Agemst this our dis : trict has distributed some of the best and most capable of our young men, who eagerly prepared themselves by drill and discipline to stand in our defence, end sadly too many of these noble fellowa have laid down their lives for our- liberties.. A just cause for pride in this connection is the recognition of our indebtedness to these men by our people. Led by strong and worthy men this district has determimed so far as money and effort can do, we wilt back the • efforts of our soldiers, the funds raised'- being evidence.