CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4702, 23 May 1924, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

ANNUAL MEETING. The sixteenth annual meeting of the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce was held in the Coronation Chambers on Tuesday evening last, the president. Mr E. W, Porritt, presiding over me rollowing : Messrs P. E. Brenan (vice-president), W. Marshall, 11. Hare, W. McCullay, A. Farrar, A. E. Say, J. T. Wright, B. Stansfield, D Leach, E. Edwards, A. Steedman, A. R. Gorrie, G, P. de Castro, and E. A. Porritt, secretary. The annual report and balancesheet was read and adopted. The president said that he thought the balance-sheet was very satisfactory, and it was the first time within his memory that the Chamber had no liabilities. Mr de Castro thought it would be more satisfactory if the balance-sheet could be printed and circulated among members at least a week before the annual meeting. The president agreed that more interest might have been infused had the balance-sheet been circulated, but funds had not permitted this to oc do ic. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows : President, Mr E. W. Porritt; vice-president, Mr. P. E. Brenan ; executixe committee, Messrs W. Marshall. A. R. Gorrie, H. Hare, E. Edwards, A. Farrar, G. Buchanan, F. J. Wells, G. P. de Castro ; auditor. Mr A. Steedman. The president thanked the members for re-electing him to the position for the fourteenth year. He said that the past year had passed off smoothly, and the meetings had been conducted in harmony and for the welfare and betterment of the town and district. The Chamber had met with loyal co-operation from the various local bodies, and the business people, generally. He had not intended to again accept the position of president, but had been asked to allow himself to be nominated, and it was with pleasure that he. had consented. He earnestly hoped that the ensuing year would be a satisfactory one, and a year that would mark further progress in the history of the chamber, town, and district. He urged the members to display a keen interest in the meetings of the Chamber, as it was only by co-operation and' unity that real good could oe accomplished. PRAISE FOR SECRETARY. Mr Marshall said that he considered the Chamber was indeed fortunate in having Mr E. A. Porritt for its secretary, and referred to the wav in which the work of the Chamber had been handled during the past year, with despatch and dignity, and with credit to the Chamber. A resolution was passed recording the Chamber’s appreciation of the secretary in the way he had conducted the business, and congratulating him cn the fair measure of success attained as a result of hi.s efforts. This concluded the business of the annua’, meeting, and the regulai meeting followed. WORKERS’ TICKETS. The president stated’ that he had interviewed the Railway Department commercial agent when he was la-t in Paeroa with reference to a complaint made to the Chamber by Mt W. H. Taylor that workers' commutation railway tickets for certain stations were hard to obtain from he local station, and that considerable delay had occurred in obtaining them. The president said it appeared to him that there was very little ground foi complaint. Workers’ tickets Were always stocked at Paeroa, and should one for any particular station not be in stock it could be procured within 24 hours. Apparently Mr Taylor had been misinformed of the position. The speaker said he had endeavoured to get in touch with Mr Taylor during the agent’s visit to Paeroa, but he had been cut of town. PATETONGA ROAD. Mr de Castro said he considered, that the Chamber should urge th? Department to expedite the constitution of the direct road from Paeroa to Pate.tonga, and contended that the formation of that road would have an important bearing on the future progress of Paeroa. He understood that the Moryinsville people were making an endeavour to have a road put thiough to Patetonga, in which case Paeroa would lose the business that should naturally come into the town. Jn reply the president explained the result of the interview the Chamber had had with the Minister and engineer on the subject, and stated that ine Department was quite favourable to the road and intended that it should be put through in the future, but at present there were sei ious engineering difficulties to contend with. The drainage of the lower district had to be advanced before any road formation could be undertaken. The Department was fully alive to the need for the road in the futuie. QUALITY OF GAS. Mr de Castro said that the reply from the Ohinemuri Light and Power Co. was not satisfactory. He stated that the quality of the gas was very poor, and he thought the Chamber should take the matter up again. Th? speaker also dre.w attention to the “meter rent imposition,” and contended that under new regulations the local gas should be tested for quality. He suggested that the Department be asked to send one of its inspectors to Paeroa for the purpose. The position should not be tolerated any longer. It was decided that a sub-commit-tee. comprising the president, vicepresident, and Mr de Castro, be set up, and that the manager of the company be invited to attend a meeting in Paeroa to go into the matter. PLAINS WATER SUPPLY. Mr Leach urged the Chamber to keep the matter of an adequate water supply for the settlers on the Hauraki Plains before it, and stated that h? considered it was regrettable that the Ohinemuri County Council had

seen fit to arrange a conference on the matter between the local bodies concerned. CRUSHING BATTERY. Mr Leach also brought un the matter of the establishment of a public battery for the use of small prospectors at Karangahake. If such a battery was erected he was confident that mining in the district Would receive a decided filip. PAEROA-POKENO LINE. Mr Leach said it had been estimated that in three years' time the handling of passenger and goods traffic at Frankton Junction would be an impossibility, when the Waihi-Tau-ranga section was in full working order. Even now, he said, the continuous congestion at Frankton was enormous, and he thought that the Chamber should urge the Department to expedite the construction of the Paeroa-Pokeno line. Mr. Leach said that if the line was not put in hand shortly, so as to deal with the East Coast traffic, the benefit of that section must necessarily go to Thames, which town, with its harbour improvements, would derive all the benefits. He understood that it was np secret that the Thames people were looking on .the development of the East Coast trade to help them out with the harbour improvement seneme. The president said that neither the Chamber nor the Government had lost sight of the desirability of the early construction of the Paeroa-Pokeno line, but the policy of the Minister of Railways was to complete one section at a time and put it on a revenueproducing basis before undertaking new sections, and Paeroa must take its turn. The Chamber had received the Department’s assurance that >t was fully.alive to the position, and there Was no chance of tne matter being overlooked. TELEPHONE SERVICE. Mr Hare said that possibly the Chamber might make an endeavour to effect .some improvements in the telephone service between Paeroa and the Hauraki Plains, He stated that it took at least half an hour to get into communication with Ngatea from Paeroa, and he knew of instances where the settlers on the Plains had been unable to ring Paeroa, and as a consequence business had been lost to the town. He understood that the difficulty was an insufficiency of telephone wires, and he thought it might be possible to have the Plains connected direct with the Paeroa exchange, . . After further discussion, in whicn several other speakers quoted instances of delays, a sub-committee was sot up to investigate the matter. REPAIRS TO ROAD. it was stated that the road from Carter’s Corner extending northwards for about half a mile towards Turua was in a very bad state and require 1 immediate attention if motor traffic from Paeroa to the Plains was to be maintained this winter. It was decided to ask the Hauraki Plains County Council to endeavour to put that portion of the road in a fit condition to carry motor traffic this winter.