TE KUITI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 648, 4 March 1914, Page 5

TE KUITI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. A meeting of the committee of the Chamber of Commerce was held at the office of the president, Mr Mostyn Jones, on Monday evening. The president reported having waited on the Backblocks Local Bodies' Association with a deputation concerning the main roads and the proposed light railway from Te Kuiti.

Native Township Tenure. —A letter was read from the Minister of Native Affairs in reply to representations made by the Chamber concerning the desirabiiitv of making provision for the granting of ths freehold of township sections to Europeans when a satisfactory bargain bar been made with the beneficiary owne s. The Minister drew attention to the Native Land Act passed last year in which provi-jion was made for the purchase by the Crown from the native owners of any township section and the transfer by the Crown to the European purchase. The Prime Minister also wrote on the same subject, statins the matter would be carefully considered.—The chairman said the Act was evidently meant to meet the position and was designed 30 that all the sections passed through the hands of the Crown. Further information wou'd be obtained, and he knew of people who were making application to get the freehold.

Public Works Office. —Replies were received in answer to telegrams sent to the Hon. W. Fraser, Minister for Public Works, and Mr C, K. Wilson, M.P., concerning the removal of the district branch of the Public Works Office to Taumarunui. The Minister pointed out that the majority of the work, including railway construction was in the vicinity of Taumarunui, and that the district could be more economically administered from Taumarunui than from Te Kuiti, which was located at the northern end of the district.

Road Communication.—A letter was received from Mr Hally, of Moeatoa, concerning the necessity cf road communication with Te Kuiti, and enclosing a petition for circulation urging that the northern end of the Awakino County he administered from the Te Kuiti branch of th» Public Works Office instead of from Taranaki.—After considerable discussion during which it was pointed out that tho request of the Moeatoa residents and the removal of the Public Works Office had an intimate bearing on each other, it was decided to support the petition and have the same typed and circulated and forwarded to the Minister, endorsed by the Chamber. Train Timetable.—The chairman reported that he had waited on the traffic manager with respect to the timetable on the railway and had made certain suggestions concerning trie trains north and south. There was no doubt a high school would shortly be established at Te Kuiti and under the existing conditions no provision was made for a suitable irain service from the north. He had suggested that arrangements should tie made whereby a train would arrive at Te Kuiti from the north not later than ten o'clock in the morning, and that one should leave Te Kuiti for the north not earlier than four o'clock in the afternoon. This would enable children along the line to get to and from the high schoul. The present arrangements from the south were suitable for the school children bat he suggested that a train should be put on at least once a week from the south which would arrive at Te Kuiti early in she afternoon and leave again at night. This would enable settlers aiong the line, who did their busines at Te Kuiti. to get to tbe centre and leave the same day. He understood the matter of the timetable was at present under consideration.—The chairman's action was confirmed.

Excursion Rates.—The secretary's action in writing to the Railway Department urging that excursion ticket from Te Kuiti to Auckland should be available for use on express trains was confirmed. Lands for Settlement.—The chairman drew attention to the fact *hat certain unoccupied Crown blocks ex isted in the Rangitoto district, and it was decided to write to the Lands Department urging that these blocks should be opened for settlement at the earliest possible date.