CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 25 March 1909, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A general meeting of the above was held in the Secretary’s office on Tuesday evening. Present: Messrs Heunessy (chair), Rev. G. K. Aitken, Perreau, Phillips, Stiles, Jeuks, Betty, Rimmer, Bullard, Walker, Levett, Hornblow and Rae-Howard (secretary). The meeting was called for the purpose of considering the President’s report which was a brief resume of the Council’s activity during the period of his presidency. The report was of an interim nature by reason of his having to vacate office before the annual meeting, when the annual report will be presented. The report dealt principally with the efforts made to lorra the Harbour Board. On the motion of Mr Stiles, seconded by Mr Walker, the report was received and adopted. The mover made special reference to the good work done by Mr Heunessy. He hoped Mr Heunessy would bring back information which would be of value to the Harbour Board. The resolution was carried unanimously. Mr Heunessy, in acknowledging the appreciation of his services, said all that was now required to give the Harbour Board its full status was the wharfages- He would keep his eyes open when abroad upon anything that would benefit the town and port. It was decided to grant the secretary a bonus of five pounds in recognition of extra work done in connection with Harbour Board matters. A letter was received from the General Manager of Railways, in reply to a request from the chamber that the station and wharf be lighted with gas, which stated inter alia: “there are no funds available at the present time for the installation of gas at Foxton and as the revenue derived per medium of wharfages is insufficient to meet the various charges that accrue from the working and upkeep of the wharf, there is no surplus which might be devoted for the purposes of lighting.” This reply created much amusement and a member remarked that the General Manager’s knowledge ot the revenues accruiug from the Foxton wharf was on a par with his information concerning the Addington Workshops. —Mr Jenks said if the position was as stated by the General Manager, then the Government should lose no time in transferring the wharfages to the Harbour Board. —It was decided to send a copy of the correspondence on the subject to the Harbour Board and also communicate with the member for the district calling his attention to the necessity for lighting the railway station and approaches with coal gas. Mr Hornblow introduced the question of a water scheme for the borough for domestic and drainage purposes. He stated that the pan tax proposed to be levied by the Borough Council of 17s 6d per pan per annum would cover a loan of approximately ,£BOOO. The pan tax was equivalaut to a rate of approximately 1 3-i6d in the £ on the unimproved rateable value of the borough. He suggested that the water from the Manawatu river after filtration could be used for the purpose.—The Rev. Mr Aitken proposed that the Borough Council be asked to forward a sample of the river water to the Government analyst for a report as to its suitability or otherwise for domestic purposes after filtration. Mr Levett, in seconding the resolution, urged that an efficient water supply and drainage was a necessity in any borough. It would also increase the population. Others present spoke favourably of a water and drainage scheme for the borough. —’The resolution was carried.

The subject of a fire brigade was discussed, but no action was taken. —The meeting rose.