CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4455, 18 August 1922, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

monthly meeting. The usual monthly meeting of the above was held on Tuesday evening. Present: Messrs E. W. Porritt (president). T. W. Kenny, H. M. Shand, W. H. Taylor, A. F. Thorp, E. A. Porritt, J. T. Brown, W. Marshall, W. D. Nicholas, and the secretary, Mr JCouper. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs L. E. Cassrels, W. F. Johnstone, G. Buchanan, and D. Leach. NGATEA MOTOR SERVICE. Mp J. T. Brown said that he had been over the route quite recently and he was quite satisfied that the proprietors of both services were losing money. Even at 10s it was not a payable fare, and it was simply going to be the survival! of the fittest, and end in a rate war presently. He thought that as the Chamber had had a good deal to do with the inauguration of the service it should make some decided effort to bring the partners together, and even if both continued, some working arrangement might be arrived at. The point was that if. one man is forced to drop out the public may have to pay such a faro that it would not be to the benefit of the town as a trading centre. The president, said that there had been two attempts, but nothing had come of them. Just recently, he understood, the parties had been discussing the matter. The Chamber was not concerned with the parties, but with the service.

Mr Marshall asked if there had been any report from the previous commitees. Undoubtedly the town would suffer if rate cutting went on. One must eventually stop. In reply to a question if the subsidy offered had been collected and paid over Mr Couper said that only portion of it had been : some who had signed the guarantee had considered that Brenan and Co. were entitled to it. Mr W. H. Taylor : But these are not members of the Chamber, I understand.

Mr; Couper : No; some are not. The president said that a good deal of difficulty had been experienced in collecting the subsidy promised. This was no doubt due to a misunderstanding. In the first place it was thought that there would be only one bus on the road.

Mr Brown moved that the Chamber endeavour to bring about co-operation between the two rival motor services running to the Hauraki Plains; This was seconded by Mr. Taylor and carried. Mr Nicholas moved that a subcommittee consisting of; Messrs W. Marshall and D. Leach be set up to give effect to the proposal. This was seconded by Mr J, T. Brown and carried.

ADVERTISING PAEROA. It was decided that a reply be sent to Wilson and Horton stating that the Chamber could not entertain the proposal to advertise; in the Christmas number of the “ Weekly News.” PROSPECTING. Mr W. H. Taylor said that the one object he had in attending the meeting was to bring before the Chamber the matter of prospecting. He was not. a miner, but from evidences m all hands there was “something in the air,” and it was quite on the cards that if a properly organised prospecting party were formed it might strike something worth while. They might get the Government to assist. All the experts teli us that the country lends itself for prospecting. The chairman said that there was quite a distinct revival at the present time, and a bit of a find would lend to a stir in mining. The old prospectors were as dead as the moa, and prospecting syndicates had proved failures. Local bodies would only pay on actual work, and subsidies by the Government could only be spent under special supervision.

Mr J. T. Brown said that he was satisfied there was gold in the air, and that it comes in cycles.

After a gbod deal of informal discussion it was resolved that the executive gather information on the matter of prospecting syndicates and report at next meeting.