CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 489, 21 October 1925, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MEETING OF PAEROA BODY. The monthly meeting of .the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce was held in the Coronation Chambers last evening, the president, Mr P. Williams, presiding over the following: Messrs E. W. Porritt, P. El Brenan, G. H. Taylor, W. E. Ward, D. Leach, W. McCullay, and the secretary, Mr E. A. Porritt. PAEROA HOSPITAL. In reply to the president Mr Brenan reported that the Thames Hospital Board by a majority had resolved that the Paeroa Maternity Hospital should be erected in wood, although .the Minister and department favoured a. brick building. After a brief discussion it was resell ed that the matter be deferred until next meeting. •POST OFFICE FENCE. In reply .to a request from the chamber the Postmaster-General advised that as the department was' already committed to the expenditure of a considerable tsum in providing Paeroa with an up-to-date post office building it was regretted that owing to the additional cost the extension of the brick and trellis fence along the Normanby road boundary of the post office could not be granted. Mr Leach said that a board fence would be an eye-sore, and ratner than see it erected he thought .the Beautifying Society might be asked to mo.ve in the matter. Mr Ward said he understood that the idea of "the wooden fence was to give greater privacy. The poles and linesmen’s gear .would probably be stored on the Princes Street side of the site. Mr Leach tsaid it might be a recommendation to the department to create some architectural design to the fence. He did not like tne idea of seeing .a lot of planks najled .up. SCENIC RESERVE. .The Under-Secretary for Lands and Survey forwarded a plan showing the boundaries of the riverbank reservation in the Waitawheta Gorge which had been excluded from the surrounding sections. It included a large block of timbered land which had been set aside as a provisional State forest. Mr Leach suggested that the department be written to drawing attention to the fact that timber had recently been cut within the' confines of the reserve, and making a request that the department notify the owners that the timber areas.'were preserved. Seconded by Mr Porritt, It was also decided to ascertain, if the area was a Crown reservation under the Land Act. TELEPHONE HOURS.

In response to a request-that the Paeroa telephone hours be extended from 6 a.m. to midnight, instead of the present hours, a reply was received that an amended duty sheet had gone forward to Wellington and the matter was receiving consideration. REMOVAL OF. ROTUNDA. The president introduced the question of' the removal of the band rotunda from its present site in Normanby Road, and suggested that it might be passible to sell the building to the Ohinemuri Jockey Club. Mr Porritt agreed that -the building would detract from the post office building. . Consideration was deferred . until the next meeting. In the meantime the Borough Council would be asked to advise the chamber what was the position regarding the removal of the building. SWIMMING BATHS. Mr Leach introduced the question of swimming baths, and said he knew the subject was an old one, and had been .thrashed thread-bare, but he considered that it was a. matter the chamber should take lip seriously. He instanced the hardship the residents of Paeroa, and especially the; children, were under in regard to' swimming facilities. " Mr Porritt said he understood that the capitation allowance paid by the Education Department for children who were taught to swim had been withdrawn. Mr G. H. Taylor advised that that 'Was so. Mr Leach said he believed that sufficient public interest could be aroused and a fair sum of money raised by the residents, A Member: You’re an optimist, Mr Leach. Mr Porritt agreed that the baths were necessary, but the question of maintenance was a serious one. Mr Taylor suggested that possibly the school caretaker could act as bath caretaker, so far as the school children were concerned. ’ It was finally decided to make inquiries and bring, the matter forward at the November meeting. Porritt said that the lack of convenient bathing facilities and the toll of lives lost in the Waihou River should stir residents to action. PUKE ROAD GROSSING. The president said he understood that when the Paeroa railway station readjustment was completed the present Puke Road crossing near the engine shed wag to be closed, and all vehicular traffic wishing to cross to the western side of .the railway line would have to use the William Street subway. If that was so,,he considered that great inconvenience would be occasioned carriers and others. Mr Brenan pointed out that the Borough Council 1 had received no advice that such a course was to be adopted. In any case the department could not close a road without notifying the council. * The secretary said he had nbt heard that the crossing was to be closed. Several other members stated that they did not think such action was likely. TELEPHONE AT GOODS'-SHED. Mr Brenan instanced the inconvenience that was being felt owing to the lack of. telephone facilities at the railway goods-shed. It was resolved to approach the department and request that a tele-

phone be, installed. PLATFORM TELEPHONE. Mr Porritt said that now the railway station was so much farther out of the town, and also that the longest time a train waited at the station was only ten minutes, a penny-in-the-slot’telephone on the station platform would be a- great convenience to commercial travellers and the travelling public generally. At the present time the public were dependent on the graciousness. of the station staff for the use of a telephone. It was resolved to write to the Post-. master-General and request that a slot telephone be installed. STATION ROAD LETTER-BOX. The site of tne letter-box at, the corner of Station and Quarry roads was mentioned by Mr Porritt, wtto said that in view of the number of residents at the railawy settlement it would be an advantage if the box was moved to a more central position at the Station and Thames road corner. It was resolved to make application to the department for the removal of the box to the site suggested. . FLAG STATION. , Mr Leach said that he had heard numbens of passengers to Paeroa complaining about the removal of the station and stating that they , had to “go back on their .tracks” if they desired to shop in the town. In reply to the president Mr Leach said that he was referring particularly to passengers from. Mackaytown and Karangahake. .He thought'that the chamber might make some move towards having a flag-station erected somewhere in the vicinity of the Te Aroha Road crossing.'

Mr Porritt said he knew the department was strongly opposed to the. erection of a flag-station, but he realr iised the disadvantage that existed. . After considerable discussion it wfis resolved to write to the department, and point out the disadvantage, and ask it tp consider the desirability of erecting a flag-station. LOADING’ FACILITIES.

Mr Brenan drew attention to the lack of loading and unloading facilities that at present existed at the Paeroa, station yard. He instanced how, through the lack of a dead end, a carrier unloading coal, for instance, nfit infrequently would have the truck shunted, away for about 20 minutes at a time to allow other waggons to be moved. The speaker said that apart from the delay and inconvenience th2 cost of carting had to be inc’ paeed, and it was scarcely fair to the public.

It was resolved to write to the department’s district engineer, and set up a sub-committee comprising Messrs Williams, Marshall, Brenan, and the secretary to wait on him’ and bring the various matters discussed that evening before him, and point out the desirability of having an improve-ment-effected. PLAINS WATER SCHEME.

Mr Leach said that some two years ago he had introduced .the subject of a water supply from the Waitawheta Gorge to the Hauraki Plains. He had noticed that the stetlers of a certain area of the Plains had undertaken a water supply scheme, but he was of the opinion that the chamber might very well keep the matter of the larger scheme in view. The secretary undertook to obtain the previous correspondence on the matter and bring it forward at a later meeting.