STEPPING AHEAD

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 7, 4 October 1943, Page 6

STEPPING AHEAD

Hutt Valley Forms New Commerce Chamber

TACKLANG OWN PROBLEMS

An important forward step in dealing with Hutt Valley commercial problems, present and future, has been taken in tlie formation of a Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which will absorb the existing Lower Hutt, and Petone chambers. The new organization is a distinct valley movement, formed with the support and assistance of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, which aims to solve urgent valley problems now neglected. The sponsors point out that the Hutt Valley is about to become the major industrial- area of- New Zealand and that 23 per cent, of the factory workers in the Wellington province earn their living iu the valley, which has a residential population of 45,000. Due to such facts and to the valley’s geographical situation there were many district problems demanding solution. The. valley would continue to look to Wellington for certain services such as shipping, warehousing, arid so on, but only co-ordinated efforts by Hutt Valley commercial interests would bring generally acceptable solutions to the purely local problems ahead. For instance. the transition from a war to a peace-time economy alone wo-uld place a heavy responsibility on the valley’s industrial and commercial interests. There were also questions of adequate and eheap ro-ad and rail transport, goods storage, electricity and gas charges, water and drainage, adequate labour, housing, harbour facilities and the like in which the Wellington chamber -could not foe expected to take a particular interest as it was occupied with similar problems of its own. It has been tentatively agreed that the functions of the new chamber will be: (1) The consideration of local problems and seeing that any necessary recommendations on these are made .to the proper authorities; (2) the provision, of advisory services and the dissemination of current commercial information; (3) the examination of all legislative measures affecting industry and commerce; (4) the co-ordination of effort ot the various Hutt Valley business groups.; (5) the maintenance of a vigilant, attitude to the progress of the Hutt Valley Development Scheme; (6) the promotion of members’ interests generally. Addressing the inaugural meeting Mr. W H. Hindle, president of the V ellington Chamber of Commerce, expressed confidence in the future of the new chamber and the hope that there would be reciprocal representation on the Wellington and Hutt executives. This would give great co-ordinative value. Mr. M. G. C. McCaul, of the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, emphasized the important influence the Chamber of Commerce movement'should exert iu promoting the post-war welfare of industry and comThese officers were elected to act till the first annual general meeting:—President, Mr. C. H. Griffin; vice-president, Mr. E. A. Tomkies; executive council, Alessrs. H. IT. Boynon, H. D. Guthrie, H. G. Lewis, and K. K. Watts (manufacturing section), Mr, E. S. Carey (Lower Hutt retailors), Mr. W. A. Imfier (Petone retailers), Messrs. M. O. browning, W. H. Ingram, C. E. Moran, aqd W • I-I. Smith (general section).