CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4812, 18 February 1925, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MEETING OF PAEROA BODY.

In the absence of the president (Mr E. W. Porritt) the vice-president, Mr P. E. Brenan, occupied the chair- at last night’s meeting of the Chambei of Commerce. Upon taking the chair Mr Brenan apologised for the absence of the president, who was indisposed. rt letter was received from the Hauraki Plains Chamber of Commerce notifying its formation and asking for a copy of rules. Mr Marshall moved that this chamber extend congratulations to the IHuraki Plaisn chamber, and wishes it a posperous and useful career. Seconded by Mr Taiboys and carried.

nun-consumers’ rate.

A good deal of informal discussion was indulged in on the vexed subject of tiie noil-consumers’ rate. ■ It was points out by one speaker that the payment of the rate was absolutely an economic loss to the town of Paeroa, and every possible effort should be made to have the burden Lfted. Mr Marshall moved that this chamber protest to the Power Board against the levying of the £ minimum rate on separate subdivisions occupied ais oho holding, as this chamber considers such levy to be contrary to the spirit of section 4 of the Electric Power Boards Amendment Act, 1923. Seconded by Mr T. Kenny and carried.

The wording of the section is as follows :—

(1) The Board may from time to time and at any time during any financial year, in addition to any rate made or levied under the principal Act or this Act, make and levy separate rates within any defined portion or defined portions of the district: Provided that no such defined portion shall include a constituent district, or any part of a constituent district, of which the local authority is the holder of a license issued under section 2 of the Public Works Amendment Act. 1911, except with the consent of the licensee.

(2) The proceeds of any such rate or rates shall be deemed to be part of tiie income of tiie Board.

(3) No rate made or levied under this section in any year shall, in respect of any one property, exceed £3O or be less than £l.

(4) For the purposes of tnis section the expression “one property” means a continuous area of land occupied and used as one holding. An area of land shall be deemed to be continuous notwithstanding that it may be severed by a public road, or by a railway or river, if it is in fact occupied and used as one property.

(5) Where one property is situated within different constituent districts the rateable value of such property shall be the total rateable values of the separate parts thereof rs appearing in the district valuation rolls of such constituent districts.

(6) Unless a supply of electricity is available at the boundary of the property or at a point within ten chains of such boundary,, either from the Beard’s mains or from the mains of a licensee supplied by the Board, the Board shall not be entitled under this section to collect any rate in respect of that property ; and every person liable to pay a rate, under this section shall be entitled to receive, free of charge, for use on the property in respect of which the rate is levied, a supply of electrical energy equivalent in value to the total amount of such rate, at the scale of charges from time to time fixed by the Board or the licensee, as the case may be.

(7) In the event of electricity having been made available for any property at any time during the currency of the year for which a rate under this section is made, such property shall be liable only for a part of that rate proportionate to the unexpired portion of the year. » it was resolved, on the motion of Mr A. Gorrie, seconded by the chairman, that a copy of 1 the resolution be forwarded to the chambers of commerce at Matamata, Morrinsville, and Ngatea and the Turua Town Board, requesting their co-operation in the matter.

The chairman moved that the Mayor of Paeroa be requested to call a public meeting to discuss the operation of the non-consumers’ rate as it affects Paeroa, and that the member fol' the district and the Paeroa representative of the Ohinemuri County Council be invited to attend. Seconded by Mr T. Kenny and carried. GOLDFIELDS JUBILEE.

Mr Marshall isaid ,it had been brought under his notice that the jubilee of the lOhinemuri goldfields was cn March 3 next, and although tl.c time was short the date should not be allowed to pass unnoted. He moved that the executive of the chamber be requested to consider the arranging of an Easter Carnival and Goldfields Jubilee, and that it have full power to act in the matter. Seconded by Mr S. J. Hedge and carried. ANNUAL MEETING. Tne chairman said that the next meeting would be the annual fixture, and ne hoped that there would ne a good attendance of members. HAURAKI PLAINS BODY. The fortnightly meeting of ths executive of the Hauraki Plains Chamber of Commerce was held at Ngatea on Tuesday evening, Mr W. E. McKaj presiding over a fair attendance. PAEPuOA-POKENO RAILWAY. Communications w’ere received from tiie N.Z. Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd.,, promising support for representations to expedite the construction of the Paeroa-Pokeno railway It w'as decided that the District Engineer, Public Works Department, be asked for information concerning the proposed route. COURTHOUSE ON PLAINS. A reply was received from the Justice Department with reference to the