CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Grey River Argus, 20 April 1911, Page 5

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A meeting of the. (xreymouth Chamber of Commerce was held last night. Present: Messrs Felix Campbell (in the chair), • Pepper, Parfitt, Kettle, Hani'bleton, McDonnell, Griffen and the secretary (Mr M. J. Fogarty). Apologies were received from Messrs King, Gilbert and Jackson. OTIRA-CASS. COACH JOURNEY. Letter from the Hokitika Borough Council regarding the question of inducing the Railway Department to connnect with the Wellington boat at Lyttelton and so make a throuh connection, instead of mails and passengers being detained in Christchiir« - h for 24 hours. Mr Campbell said that having recently travelled over the line, he could plainly see that changing the station at Otira would be a great inconvenience to the Department. :••■••■. ■Mr Pepper said that as the Railway Department could get over the difficulty by starting the train from Greymouth an hour earlier, it was hardly, likely that the Department would incur the expense of removing* the station. 1 Mr Campbell in reply to other speakers said that the whole trouble lay in the fact that the s.s. Maori was the only ferry boat which 'could wait for the Greymouth train and reach Wellington in time to catch the northern • express., / On the motion of Mr Kettle, it was resolved to fall in with the Hokitika Council in the direction of securing a through connection. Letter from the Postal Department Wellington,; stating that a duplication of the Trunk Telephone to fteefton would cost £1,060 and that the present line was eaual to present demands. Received. Letter from Manaer N. Z. Railways regarding delay of mail train from Christchurch, and stating that the train was at present speeded. up as far as was possible. It was resolved on the .motion of Mr Kettle that a deputation consistin of the chairman; the secretary and the mover wait upon the postmaster, pointing out the times of arrival and departure at certain points and .where acceleration could be effected. 'GENERAL. •, Mr Kettle said that he thought it was .a good thing to have such an institution as the Chamber of Commerce. It was all for the betterment of the town, and it was .a matter for regret that so little interest was taken by those ' whose 'whole interests were bound up in the advancement of the town and district. The betterment of the totvn should not be thrown on a few. Business men should endeavour to attend^ the '.Chamber -in larger numbers. On the motion of Mr McDonnell, it was resolved that the secretary.communicate with the proper authorities pointing out the vexatious delays which occur in the handling of 'deeds at the Hokitika Stamp lOffice. Ofre asserted ' {that there ■were deeds lying- iincomt>lfited im-tho Hokitika Stamp, Office -which 'had been ther for over twelve months, and tb.it applications for same are simply met with the reply that "they arc n^t re?dy." • . . ■ A vote of thanks to the chair terminated tlio mpptin.n r . . • ;