CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1238, 22 February 1878, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The quarterly general meeting of the Chamber was held yesterday afternoon. Present—Messrs John Anderson (president), C. W. Turner (vice-president), Day, Cunningham, Pavitt, Connall, Richardson, Cameron, Booth, Goss, Revans, A. 0. Wilson, Laurie, Hargreaves, and Barker. The Chairman said £he first business'would be the election of two members, viz., Mr John Grigg and Mr Wm. Pratt. On a ballot being taken, these gentlemen were declared to be duly elected members of the Chamber. The Chairman said that since the last meeting of the Chamber held on the 21st November, the committee had had four meetings. On the 4th December a special meeting was held to take into consideration the question of nominating a candidate to represent the Chamber on the Harbor Board. As members were all aware, Mr C. W. Turner had been elected without opposition. At the next monthly meeting a similar subject came on for consideration through his (Mr Anderson's) own resignation on the Harbor Board. Mr Peter Cunningham was nominated on that occasion, and . was duly elected without opposition. He thought the Chamber would agree with him that they had reason to be highly satisfied in having representatives on the Board, and in having obtained the services of gentlemen experienced in the working of the Harbor Board. Several matters had come up for consideration before the committee In the first instance, soon after the expiration of the past quarter, the committee took into consideration the advisability of communicating with the General Government, asking that steps might be taken to have New Zealand represented at the forthcoming exhibition. To a communication sent a reply had been received that the Government had no funds in hand for such a purpose, and this project had to be allowed to fall to the ground. The next matter considered by the committee was a weighbridge at Lyttelton. The General Government had promised for a long time that a weighbridge should be erected at Lyttelton, for the weighing of coal and other imports, to avoid tho great inconvenience that existed. A reply had been received from the General Manager of tho Canterbury railways, saying that a weighbridge would be erected as speedily as possible, and this intention would, he was sure, be satisfactory to the Chamber. Another matter that came bofore the committee was the question of Sunday labour at Lyttelton. As members would be aware the Government had instituted an arrangement compelling all the railway servants to sign a document consenting to work on Sundays if required, even if not prcssingly wanted. The Chamber thought it necessary that some artion should be taken, and a letter was written to the Minister for Public Works, who replied that the matter was under the consideration of the Government, and would be carefully considered by them. These communications would, he (the president) hoped, have a beneficial effect, and put a Btop to proceedings which the Chamber considered inadvisable and unnecessary. Other communications had passed between the general manager and the committee with reference to the overcharge made for loading trucks, but the committee had not succeeded, as it was stated that the reductions made in the carriage of general commodities would not warrant the Government in complying with their request. This, he thought, had been the principal business that had come before the committee, and if any member had any other business to bring forward he should be glad to hear him. No remarks having been made, this concluded the business, and the meeting adjourned.