CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1920, Page 1

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 7

The Executive ..Committee gat at 7.40 1 p.m. .at the County ..Chambers. (Pre-t sent: hJessrs-'G ,A. Perry -(President);« W. J. Busier, P. R. rStewurt; R. Wild, t T .\W. Bruce, M- H. Houston, T. W-> .Duff, and [D. J. Evans ;(>hpn. secretary). r The minutes of fthe previous meeting -.were confirmed and -the outward cones- 1 pondence approved. « INWARD .CORRESPONDENCE. < From Coal Control Department iu-i dicating steps necessary to seoure a re-' gular supply of domestic coal from Rooftop,- and stating Mr Jas. Deitch of) Groymouth was .distributor.—Received with 'thanks, and it -was stated coal dealers «--could -now obtain 'suppliesthrough -the source -mentioned. ; From A- S. Malcolm :M.P., of the. Parliamentary Party -which visited the Coast, thailking the ‘Chamber ,for copy I of “Beautiful Westland,” and stating) he would be .pleased to assist .Mr Sed-< don in -makirig representations -regard- < ing 'Westland -matters of goneral Sinter- 1 cat.—Received With thanks. I .From T. E .Y. Seddon, M.iP„ -report-; ing action .regarding presentation -of* petitions affecting South Westland: Railway, and stating -the gehult of -the? deputation was satisfactory.—Received.; j and a motion of -thanks ,recorded To .Mr i Seddon and 'the deputation (for ithc act-: ion taken. • From (Commissioner of (Grown Landsapproving.of the captured German guiisi 1 bding -mounted in front of (the (.Govern-l ment buildings.—Received. ! jFrom >P. JR: Climie, organiser of the, Canterbury Progress League,' forwarding a. copy of 'the report presented to -the League on the late visit to the West Coast.—Received with 'thanks and to be .published at convenience. FINANCIAL. i

The-Hon Treasurer (Mr Wild) sub-* mitted an interim report on the .-finances. The receipts-so far ’had been £93 (including £52 derived from thecinematograph (tour through Westland),' and -the payments £74. There were some members subscriptions riutstanfl-i ing, and the contributions were due - from ■ the local 'bodies. As the finan- ‘ ,cial year closes next month it was re-? sdlved to ask for payment of members’ subscriptions and -the outstanding contributions. It was resolved to write the Ross 'Borough (Council and ask -for a contribution -to the 'Otira mail service.

A vote of £2O was made -to -the Pro-' gross League towards the cost of on-' tertaining the Canterbury delegation lately in the district. PAPERS READ. :Somo interesting extracts from the annual report-of the Adelaide Chamber of (Commerce on the economic outlook' ns a result of the world position were' read and it was suggested Same be published for general information. ;Mr R. Wild read a paper on THE GROWING SHORTAGE OF ' OIL FUEL. All users of oil fuel from the steamboat owner who burns crude oil to make, steam, to the motor-cycle joyrider, whose problem is -to get one gallon of petrol, are acutely realizing that production does not equal the demand, while onb accustomed in days gone by to buy benzine at 8s Cd a-case is amazed that there should be any use for it at all at the present cost of 355. Still the demand goes on increasing, ships are being converted from coal to oil burners, horse teams replaced by motor lorries, buggies by motor cars arid even race horses'by motor c-yeles, while the new life of the flier is a terrific oil user. People having the confidence history justifies that any demand that is pressing enough human ingenuity is equal to meeting. When the supply and demand do not balance and reserve stocks are exhausted in meeting tlie demand there may be said to be three alternatives. 1 — To increase the supply. 2 Reduce the demand. 3 Provide a. substitute. That every effort to do the first is being done we can tell, by the embarrassments the Imperial Government is experiencing in Mesopotamia, Mexico and with the United States over oil. That the second is out of'the question we all concede, neither do we hope for

it. -i There remains the third; to provide a substitute,' and one’s mind here nnturally turns to Benzol—a product of coal. I Rut you may say surely it should no , be proposed to intensify the coal shortage by increasing the uses, and so the demand for coal. _ I No but just because coal is so, not scarce, because there are untold fields of it, let us say expensive, is a cogent reason why the last particle of eih- . cienev should be got out of it. One ton of eras coal without reducing either the quality or brilliance of gas produced from it can be made also to produce seven gallons of benzol. In 1918 England which consumed 200 million gallons of moto spirit produced 42 million gallons ofbenzol from 6 million tons that the operaton has passed altogether out of the stage of being merely a laboratory experiment.' There was a prejudice agfttfjst fcenzp because it was said to have a . a on the internal mechanism of 1 cine in which it was used, but the Eu„fsh Automobile Association tested thm out a 16 lip. car on ate thousand mile run and found. I—The engines s.wffemd no m.l'U.v----o The car did twenty per cent. more mileage on benzol than on peUoh An after the war measuie the establishment near London of * KeLrcl. Board to oxpen.nc., 1 +1 or thint’s for the extraction among other f ° motor eJlg ; ncs . immediately collaborate J ;th this establishment, it is an inte w utter for debate, as to who take up tins urgent and importt torlc Should the Government a 'i c+ill have extensive coal areas un- > ° tod hut so uniformly got poorer w

.should the coal companies or the City gas companies bo encouraged by means of a bonus supported by 'a duty on imported spirit. It would appear that the wapt- is so pressing the demand so constant and the profit so promising that one or more of the Municipal gas departments should set about getting jnto this business without delay.. Mr Wild’s paper .was acknowledged with a cordial vote of thanks. AVIATION.

Mr Br'ucc referred to the necessity of providing laiqling places on the West Coast for aerial machines. In the Course of discussion it was elicited varous reports had .been submitted inclining a confidential report .to an .official source. Some suitable sites were mentioned for aeroplanes and lidyrojjjlanes in the vicinity .of Hokitika, the queston at issue beiig the cost of clear-' ing suitably levelling ,the sites indicated. Further eonsderation was deferred. The meeting concluded at 9.20 p.m.